I am a behavioral ecologist, and my research over the last 14 years has focused on honey bee foraging behavior and communication, especially the honey bee waggle dance. The waggle dance is a fascinating behavior, unique to bees in the genus Apis. It allows honey bee foragers to convey the location of rewarding patches of flowers to their sisters. In 2023 I completed work as a postdoctoral fellow with Matina Donaldson-Matasci in the Bee Lab at Harvey Mudd College and joined the Department of Biology at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana as an assistant professor.

I am also broadly interested in pollinator conservation and social insect biology. I teach courses on introductory biology, entomology, social insects, animal behavior, and programming for biologists, and I am committed to creating a welcoming and equitable environment in my classes and research group.

Outside of work, I enjoy reading/watching sci-fi and fantasy, playing boardgames, taking photos of insects and flowers, and a wide variety of craft projects.