After graduating from University of Guelph with an Honours degree in Environmental Biology, I look to further specialize in forest entomology. Growing up, my family spent many summers at a cabin in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, where I developed a deep fascination with the natural world and its insect inhabitants. Over the years, I witnessed the profound ecological impacts of the mountain pine beetle (MPB) epidemic, forest fires, and Douglas fir beetle disturbances in the region surrounding my family’s cabin. Between graduating from my bachelors and starting my master’s research, I have gained professional experience in working in research and development at an agritech company as well as a semiochemical producing company. During my free time you can find me playing guitar, road cycling, hiking, baking, and caring for my pets/plants.

My current research explores the ecological consequences of natural disturbances on boreal ecosystems, with a focus on the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) in western Alberta. Mountain pine beetle range expansion into Alberta has altered forest ecosystems through reducing canopy cover and promoting successionary understory growth, which in turn influences trophic interactions and the densities of plant and animal species. The impact of mountain pine beetle disturbance on arthropod communities has not been well studied in either its historic or expanded range. My study compares forest conditions in disturbed and undisturbed sites, offering a novel approach to assess ecosystem health amid the ongoing mountain pine beetle range expansion in Alberta. Specifically, I evaluate the presence of mountain pine beetle, other bark beetle competitors, and bark beetle predators (e.g., Cleridae beetles) in intact and disturbed lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) stands in western Alberta. In addition, I am monitoring the community of wood-boring beetles (Cerambycidae, Buprestidae), and ground-dwelling arthropods (Carabidae, Staphylinidae), which are key indicators of forest disturbance and climate change. This work aims to advance sustainable forest management strategies and deepen our understanding of the ecological dynamics resulting from mountain pine beetle disturbances.