I grew up in New Hampshire and received a B.S. in Geography and minor in International Development Studies from McGill University in Montreal. During my undergraduate degree I developed an interest in food security and farm systems, and my research examined the biophysical indicators of major agricultural crops on a global scale as part of the Global Land and Water Resources Lab. After exposure to a global view of food production, I wanted to understand biophysical field-scale processes and the socioeconomics of food systems, so I worked on several farms and later pursued a joint M.S. in Soil Science and Agroecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  My M.S. research examined the long-term effect of dairy cropping systems on soil water dynamics.

I am currently pursuing a PhD in Agronomy where my research focus is quantifying potential groundwater savings from precision irrigation techniques in the Central Sands region of Wisconsin. Other research interests include cropping system dynamics, water use efficiency, plant response to biophysical stressors, and science communication, all through a lens of improving food security.