ABOUT ME
ABOUT ME
Background
My foundation in scientific research was built in the Chianese Lab at Colgate University where I researched organometallic catalysis for several years, producing a chemistry honors thesis and co-authoring two publications. I found my research passion when I joined an ecosystem ecology lab working on forest fragmentation in Ethiopia. I traveled to Ethiopia as part of the first group to work on this project and helped to establish dozens of long-term research plots in the sacred forests. I was primarily responsible for soil and litter collection at each site but learned about many aspects of forest biogeochemistry. Back in the lab, I quantified soil carbon, nitrogen, and available phosphorous as part of the broader ecosystem assessment trying to determine the interactions of forest management and degradation. This project sparks my first interest in nutrient cycling in soils and the methods used to analyze these processes. Working in the church forests also introduced me to interdisciplinary work and the complex interactions of human needs and ecosystem functioning.
With my dissertation I aimed to improve fundamental knowledge of the drivers of long term soil organic matter stability. My research focused on the impact of elevated atmospheric CO2 on soil carbon in the Mojave Desert, where ecosystem processes are spatially and temporally heterogeneous, adding levels of complexity to an already complicated question. Determining the fate of carbon in arid soils is critical to modeling the natural ecosystems that contribute most to the inter annual variation of global NPP.
My career aspiration is to use my experience studying the response of soil carbon to climate change to address how soils can be managed for climate change mitigation and adaptation. I am fascinated by the ways in which restoring carbon to our soils can decrease atmospheric carbon while also improving the productivity and resilience of our farms and ranches in the face of a changing climate. My experience with Cornell's biogeochemistry community has showed me how teams of experts can work together to understand Earth's complex systems more effectively than any one scientist alone. I hope to work with institutions that address the challenges of climate mitigation and adaptation head on with fundamental science and collaboration.
When I am not in the lab or in the field you can find me trail running with my dog, Cedar, or skiing, hiking, and drinking local beers in my home state of Vermont.
With my dissertation I aimed to improve fundamental knowledge of the drivers of long term soil organic matter stability. My research focused on the impact of elevated atmospheric CO2 on soil carbon in the Mojave Desert, where ecosystem processes are spatially and temporally heterogeneous, adding levels of complexity to an already complicated question. Determining the fate of carbon in arid soils is critical to modeling the natural ecosystems that contribute most to the inter annual variation of global NPP.
My career aspiration is to use my experience studying the response of soil carbon to climate change to address how soils can be managed for climate change mitigation and adaptation. I am fascinated by the ways in which restoring carbon to our soils can decrease atmospheric carbon while also improving the productivity and resilience of our farms and ranches in the face of a changing climate. My experience with Cornell's biogeochemistry community has showed me how teams of experts can work together to understand Earth's complex systems more effectively than any one scientist alone. I hope to work with institutions that address the challenges of climate mitigation and adaptation head on with fundamental science and collaboration.
When I am not in the lab or in the field you can find me trail running with my dog, Cedar, or skiing, hiking, and drinking local beers in my home state of Vermont.
