What brought you to UGA? I am from the Southeast, so I felt lucky to learn that top-notch research was happening just a couple hours away from my hometown.

What are your research/study interests? I am in the Institute of Bioinformatics to support my interests in data-informed plant breeding and crop improvement via computational and statistical methods. I like to investigate underlying crop genetics/transcriptomics, as well as develop easy-to-use software pipelines to help other scientists. I am also pursuing a certificate in Disability Studies to better understand and challenge barriers in higher education to students with disabilities, especially those who are chronically ill and/or learning disabled.

What has been a benefit of being part of IPS?/How did it help you select your program? Enrolling through IPS allowed me to experience different lab cultures and find the best fit for me. It also allowed me to network and get a feel for the research happening at UGA in my areas of interest. I can’t emphasize enough how much the varied research experiences taught me in such a short amount of time!

What are your career goals? Whether I go into industry, academia, government, or some combination of these, my main goals are to find a career that (1) provides enough to keep me well, (2) allows me to manage research (preferably my own), and (3) gives me opportunities to provide public education and outreach.

Who is your major professor? My major professor is Dr. Jason Wallace. Our lab primarily studies crop-microbiome interactions and complex traits, while developing computational tools along the way.