I grew up in Northern California. I have a BS in Plant Biology from UC Davis (2003) and a MS in Interdisciplinary Ecology with a concentration in Tropical Conservation and Development from the University of Florida (2006). I conduct research in the Atlantic Rainforest biodiversity hotspot in southern Bahia, Brazil. I am interested in the economic implications of native trees integrated into agricultural systems. I am a first year PhD student working with Dr. Maria Uriarte from Columbia University and Dr. Christine Padoch and Dr. Wayt Thomas from the New York Botanical Garden.