I am a behavioral and physiological ecologist, zoologist, and field biologist, and I specialize in hummingbird biology. I recently (May 2023) completed my PHD in ecology and evolutionary biology with Ken Welch at the University of Toronto. My thesis focused on how hummingbirds use an ability called torpor (like an overnight hibernation) to save a bunch of energy, so that they can survive and thrive in a wide range of ecological conditions. I am broadly interested in the behavioral and physiological strategies animals use to manage their energy-budgets to persist and thrive in extreme environments and ecological conditions. I have had a life-long passion for pursuing immersive experiences in wilderness, learning about the integrative biology of natural areas, and sharing my knowledge and wonder with students and fellow nature-enthusiasts.

 

I grew up in Somers, New York, wandering my neighborhood forests and subconsciously developing a sense of biophilia, an innate connectedness with nature. I have since watched those forests shrink and disappear, as housing developments and shopping centers consumed the semi-rural landscape of my youth. I began to understand the complex biological and socio-economic impacts of these anthropogenic landscape alterations as I specialized in urban ecology during my undergraduate studies in Los Angeles. In addition to lectures, labs, and field courses, I participated in several research projects, from annotating a database of invasive plant species, to isolating bacteriophages in the lab, to evaluating least tern conservation management initiatives in the field. On my first day searching for the banded crows that prey upon endangered least tern nests, I began to realize that a career in field biology would allow me to merge my passions for experiencing nature and learning about biology.

 

This endeavor has gradually manifested into my PHD focusing on hummingbird physiological ecology. On an undergraduate study abroad course in Costa Rica, I became enthralled with hummingbirds, and I continued to use the remote monitoring techniques that I learned there to observe hummingbirds at artificial feeders back in Los Angeles. When I graduated, my interests in hummingbird behavior led me to a remote field site in Ecuador where I served as a field assistant to a PHD student who first exposed me to the phenomenon of torpor, an extreme low-metabolism state that hummingbirds use to save energy at night. When I returned to Los Angeles and gained a postgraduate mentorship and research fellowship, I designed, acquired funding for, and organized a team of field assistants for a project that used thermal imaging cameras to monitor torpor use in wild nesting hummingbirds. This experience confirmed that field biology was the perfect way for me to engage with my love for nature while also inspiring biophilia in others through a collaborative and integrative approach to research.

 

In the past five years, I designed my PHD thesis, completed four five-month-long summer field seasons at two Southern Ontario field sites, and developed my scientific analysis, writing, and communication skills. I have taught (and learned from) hundreds of undergraduates in lab, lecture, and independent research courses, and mentored full teams of assistants in each of my field seasons. I have also explored a wide range of environments throughout Southern Ontario, from hiking and running through urban forests, to backpacking and canoeing through crownland and provincial parks. During my summer field seasons, when I wasn’t troubleshooting research equipment or trapping hummingbirds, I wandered the forests, foraging for wild edibles, learning to identify plants, quietly stalking wildlife, and pondering the seasonal and long-term dynamics of the landscape. The more time I spend in the field, the more I appreciate and am amazed by the diversity of such ever-changing environments, especially in the context of rapidly encroaching human activity and urbanization.

 

Although I still find immense value in solo adventures, have come to realize that it is futile to enjoy nature only for the sake of my own selfish enthusiasm or particular academic interests. Rather, I firmly believe that inspiring, teaching, enabling other people to pursue their own passion for nature, science, and community is the optimal context in which to direct my field biology career. Unfortunately, as I was finishing one chapter and looking forward to melding my passions for studying, experiencing and sharing nature, I was hit with some serious and debilitating health issues associated with tick-borne disease. While I’ve had to put my plans to live in nature, pursue adventure, and guide field biology courses on hold, I am determined to recover and get back on my feet. As an important step towards recovery and renewal, I am excited to now offer one-on-one tutoring and independent research mentorship to help younger students become fascinated by world we live in. As I continue to recover, I hope to gradually resume my dream career as a field biologist, wilderness guide and science educator.