About Me

I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) | College of William & Mary within the Coastal Geology Lab (CGL). My current research is focused on barrier island management and evolution, remote sensing for coastal environments, and coastal dune management. I enjoy addressing key topics with a variety of field- and remote sensing strategies.

I completed my Ph.D. and M.S. degrees within the Department of Geography at the University of South Carolina (USC). As a member of the Wind-sediment Interactions and Nearshore Dynamics Lab (WINDlab), I was engaged in beach-dune dynamics with respect to hazard impacts and recovery (e.g., tropical cyclones, king tides), and anthropogenic impacts to the beach-dune system. I gained several years of field experience following the impacts of notable Hurricanes including Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), Florence (2018), Michael (2018), Dorian (2019), and Ian (2022).

At the start of my Ph.D., I was selected as a 2020 NOAA John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow. I was stationed within the Program Office of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) in Silver Spring, MD. Here, I served as a Science and Technology Fellow jointly under the Director and Deputy Director. I gained experience in a variety of subjects including:

• Workshop design, prioritization, and implementation for a variety of subject areas and audiences at the national, state, and local level.
• Audits and reporting procedures for legislative mandates, including report design, completion, and interviews.
• International collaboration for project design and initiation for the Benefits of Ocean Observing Catalogue (BOOC).
• Serving as the liaison for cross-office initiatives, including the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Ocean Observing Prize and a National Harmful Algal Bloom Workshop with NOAA National Centers for Coastal and Ocean Science (NCCOS).

Prior to my time at USC, I received my B.S. in Geography (environmental emphasis) and a minor in geospatial science from Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in Huntsville, TX. I grew up in SE Texas and enjoyed many years along the beaches of Galveston.