I’ve always known what I want to be when I grow up: a scientist, of course. Because I’m very good at asking “kweshchuns” (questions) (Richmond, unpublished manuscript, 2002).

Growing up across the globe shaped my fascination with biodiversity. I spent my childhood in Africa. I’ve also spent time hauling nesting sea turtles across beaches in Barbados, fighting record-breaking wildfires across the West Coast, and tracking crossbills in the Grand Tetons. I currently spend my time chasing chickadees across the snowy Sierras.

Now a PhD candidate in cognitive ecology at the University of Nevada, Reno, I study how cognition, ecology, and the microbiome interact in wild birds. My work bridges intense fieldwork and lab research with a passion for teaching and equity, shaped by my experiences as a disabled woman navigating the intersections of science and spirituality. Rooted in the Baháʼí belief in the harmony of science and religion, I strive to cultivate diversity, curiosity, and compassion in academia while uncovering how animals adapt to a changing world.