I earned my BS in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy, and Biology, from Duke University and my PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University. My research focuses on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of marine mammals with an emphasis on cetaceans and sea otters. My primary field sites are in Southeast Alaska and New Zealand. In 2018, I was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to study blue carbon science, communication, and policy with UN Environment/GRID-Arendal in Norway.