Education
Texas A&M University
(College Station, TX)
August 2011 - May 2015
Ph.D in Entomology
My dissertation explored the nutritional ecology of two cotton pests: Helicoverpa zea (cotton bollworm) and Lygus hesperus (Western tarnished plant bug). I utilized a geometric framework to assess the intake targets for these species and their performance across a range of plant-relevant diets. I also assessed the effect of nutrition on Bt susceptibility in H. zea and the implications for resistance monitoring in transgenic Bt cotton.
St. Cloud State University
(St. Cloud, MN)
August 2008Â - May 2010
M.S. in Ecology and Natural Resources
My thesis explored the impact of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment on mayflies (Baetis species) nutrient regulation and growth in low-nutrient headwaters streams.
University of St. Thomas
August 2001Â - May 2005
B.A. in Biology; B.A. in Environmental Studies; Minor in Philosophy
My undergrad research was focused on ecological stoichiometry, aquatic food-web dynamics, animal behavior, and phenotypic plasticity in tadpoles and insects.