I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Engineering in the Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Department. I have always been intrigued by the interactions of humans with the environment. My research focuses on phosphorus transport and transformation in aquatic ecosystems in the context of the role of beaver dam-building in shaping hydrologic and biogeochemical cycles across North America. Working to understand the cumulative impact of beaver activity on sediment, phosphorus retention, and wetland formation. This work highlights how animal-driven landscape processes influence large-scale environmental systems—bridging ecology, environmental engineering, or human-ecology interactions.
Throughout my time at Michigan Tech, I have taught courses including Water Resources Engineering, Soil Mechanics for Engineers, and Environmental Process & Simulation labs. I’ve also worked as an Educational Scientist with the Center for Educational Outreach, supporting community education initiatives and teaching about lake ecology and the scientific process. These roles have deepened my passion for teaching and mentoring students across disciplines.
I have worked hard and received several awards for my work, including the Graduate Student Service Award, the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award, and the David Hand Excellence in Lab Award. I also served as the Margaret A. Davidson Fellow for the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, where I worked at the intersection of research and applied ecosystem management using numerical models for phosphorus transport.
I am very grateful and honored to receive the Doctoral Finishing Fellowship and would like to thank the Graduate School and the donors who make this fellowship possible. I would also like to thank my advisors, Brian Barkdoll and Xinyu Ye, and my committee, Amy Marcarelli, Cory McDonald, and Noel Urban, for their encouragement and guidance throughout this journey as I finish up my doctoral studies.