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I am a molecular paleoecologist, who uses organic geochemical and stable isotopic tools to study how disturbance processes, such as wildfire and herbivory, interacted with carbon cycling and climate change in ancient terrestrial ecosystems. My work mainly focuses on fires in savannas and grasslands, which today account for ~80% of global annual burned area. Before starting at the University of Chicago, I was a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow with a joint appointment at Yale University and Brown University. I received a bachelor’s in Biology and Environmental Earth Science from Washington University in St. Louis in 2015 and a PhD in Geosciences from Pennsylvania State University in 2020.

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I am the Laboratory Manager for the Karp Molecular Paleoecology Laboratory. I’m an organic geochemist and paleoclimatologist, and my research focuses on reconstructing hydroclimate and environmental changes in the South American tropics throughout the late Quaternary period. Before joining the Karp laboratory, I received a Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Macalester College in 2020 and a Ph.D. in Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences from Washington University in St. Louis in 2025.

I am a graduate student in the Karp Molecular Paleoecology Laboratory. My research utilizes geochemical methods to investigate late Quaternary herbivory, vegetation, and climate dynamics. Prior to joining the Karp group in autumn 2025, I received a bachelor’s degree in Geology-Biology with honors from Brown University in 2022 and I worked as a lab manager for the Hay Lab at the California Institute of Technology in the interim.

I am a graduate student in the Karp Molecular Paleoecology Laboratory. My research investigates how prescribed fire and the reintroduction of megafauna (such as bison) influence the production and persistence of soil pyrogenic carbon, using an integrated approach that combines field experiments, paleoecological data, and geochemical analyses. My goal is to support prairie rehabilitation efforts in the Midwest and nature-based solutions to address global climate change. I graduated from McGill University in 2025 with Honours in Biology, where I conducted research in paleolimnology and fire ecology. My thesis focused on reconstructing the wildfire history of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula to investigate its impacts on primary producers. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I also gained experience in molecular ecology, microevolution, ecotoxicology, and conservation biology.

I am a third-year undergraduate here at the University of Chicago majoring in Geophysical sciences, Chemistry with an organic specialization, and Environmental sciences. My interests are focused on sediment and soil proxy analysis using geochemical methods. I hope to continue working in geochemical research, developing methods and skills to support a continued study of geochemistry, paleoclimatology, and paleoecology.