My pathway to geoscience has been a meandering one. I always had an interest in the natural world, and loved to go into work with my parents at the American Museum of Natural History, where I would draw most of the day. In undergrad I first majored in Studio Art, creating large oil paintings inspired by natural history dioramas at the Museum. I then interned at the Museum as an exhibit preparator, aiding in creating large dioramas for traveling exhibits. Working with scientific curators and artists at the Museum led me to double major in Anthropology and go on to earn my Master's in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology. This is where I began to study extinct and living dinosaur anatomy and evolution. I now am earning my doctorate in Geology at UT Austin, where I continue to research the evolutionary relationships of these animals.

Honing my visual skills for so long has given me an advantage in studying anatomy, especially fossilized skeletons and soft tissue, as paleontology is a field where much of the data and data processesing requires keen visual discernment. My unique background also allows me to come up with creative solutions to scientific problems. Because of this I would encourage creative people, especially artists, to not rule out a career in geoscience.