I received my bachelor’s degree from UIUC in Earth, Society, and Environmental Sustainability in December of 2022. As an undergraduate, I had the opportunity to work on a research project in northern Wisconsin studying spawning bass population dynamics. This was one of the greatest experiences of my life and really solidified my desire to further pursue research in fisheries ecology. Following graduation, I had the opportunity to work as a technician in the Sport Fish Ecology Lab at UIUC, with much of our work focused on estimating the accuracy of aging walleye and saugeye with different hard structures. Additionally, we often assisted in a study focused on tracking smallmouth bass movement in the Vermilion River.
As of May 2023, I have been working on a Master’s thesis with Dr. Cory Suski and Dr. Jeff Stein aimed to address the long-term effects of angling pressure on spawning largemouth and smallmouth bass populations. My research takes place in southern Ontario where I am based out of the Queen’s University Biological Station during my summer field seasons. The goal of this project is to provide managers with empirical evidence to support management practices better suited to protecting spawning bass populations.
In my free time, I enjoy fishing (especially for bass and trout), hunting and binge-watching Netflix shows with a Papa John’s pizza next to me.