About me

I was born and raised in Northern California, growing up in Sonoma County and the Sacramento Valley, before moving to the Eastern Sierra Nevada. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of California, Davis in political science, economics, and environmental policy analysis and planning. I worked with land conservation and environmental justice organizations in California and Nevada before returning to school. My research draws from these experiences and foregrounds the challenges of Indigenous nations and rural communities that are grappling with environmental change. I received a master’s degree in forestry & environmental science from the Yale School of the Environment, a master’s degree in anthropology from the Yale Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, and a doctorate in the combined PhD program in anthropology and forestry & environmental science at Yale University. I am currently a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Earth System Science at Stanford University. I divide my time between the San Francisco Bay Area and Eastern Sierra Nevada.

I acknowledge that my place of work is situated on the traditional homelands of the Numu (Northern Paiute), Wašiw (Washoe), Newe (Western Shoshone), and Nuwu (Southern Paiute) peoples. These lands continue to be a gathering place for Indigenous peoples and I recognize their deep connections to these places. I extend my appreciation for the opportunity to live and learn on their territories and commit myself to advancing Indigenous sovereignty, community well-being, and healthy ecosystems in my work.