I began my work at Michigan Tech in 2020 as a PhD student in Dr. Andy Burton’s lab. I joined his lab to work on the FACE Wood Decomposition Experiment, a long-term ecological research project studying the movement of carbon from decomposing wood into soil and the atmosphere. I came from a background in entomology and community ecology, and was so excited to broaden my experiences working on biogeochemistry. From the first time I met Dr. Burton and visited Houghton, I knew this was where I wanted to get my advanced degree.
In my time here at Michigan Tech, I have had the opportunity to travel the country, work with collaborators from multiple universities as well as the US Forest Service, learn cutting edge molecular genetics techniques, present my research at national conferences, and make some amazing friends. I’ve learned how to cross-country ski, how to teach ecology to classes of undergraduates, and how to analyze complex community data. I know all these experiences and more that I’ve had here will serve me well in my future career.
I am profoundly grateful to the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for this finishing fellowship, which will allow me to focus completely on my analysis and writing in the spring semester. I would also like to thank Dr. Burton, Dr. Külheim, Dr. Marcarelli, and Dr. Hersch-Green for all their support as my committee throughout my time here at Michigan Tech, and to thank the students in the forest genetics lab for all their help. Science is always a collaborative effort, and I am so grateful to have such dedicated and passionate collaborators.
