PhD Candidate
University of Pennsylvania
I am a current 4th year PhD candidate in the Biology Department at the Univeristy of Pennsylvania. I study how coastal dunes ecologically respond to and recover in the event of storms such as hurricanes. More specifically, I study the biotic and abiotic factors governing recolonization post-storm and the geomorphological implications of what plant species recolonizes areas in terms of dune stability and resulting topography built by the plants. I approach these topics inerdisciplinarily largely via field work analyzed at the micro and macroscale in spatial and time contexts via GIS. I began studying these topics in the context of Hurricane Sandy as a way to give back to my home state, NJ, USA, which was devastated by the storm. I hope that by studying the ecology of dunes, we can be better prepared for the next inevitable storm that could be just around the corner. I intend to defend my thesis in August 2019. I am actively seeking out opportunities for next steps, such as post-docs, and would love to talk to you about opportunities. Thank you for getting to know me a little bit, I hope we get the chance to meet in person at the conference or elsewhere!
Tuesday, July 31
11:40 AM – 12:00 PM