Outreach

Working with freshman in the intro biology classes, I notice that hypothesis testing and experimental design is a skill lacking for many. No matter what the major, understanding how to critically think about real-world issues using the scientific method is a necessary life skill. Therefore,  I use Ectotherm ER, an educational module developed by the Richards-Zawacki lab and Pitt Bio Outreach that utilizes hypothesis testing to teach students about environmental changes impacting organisms and their ecosystems. In the module, middle and highschoolers learn about amphibian behavior, physiology, and their battle against a deadly fungal disease. Students make their own agar frog models, and create hypothesis and predictions on how agar frog temperature and water loss will be affected based on the microhabitat placed in. The students then gather temperature information with sensors, and analyze the data to ask questions about the interaction between a changing environment, disease, and amphibian health. I have worked with over 200 students using this module in Mississippi, and plan to travel to more schools to deploy this activity. If this sounds like an activity you would like to participate in or implement in your classroom, don't hesitate to reach out!

I work closely with many K-12 programs to provide hands-on and engaging biology  experiences for students throughout Mississippi. As my passion for conservation developed at a young age, I aim to create immersive experiences for students to learn about biodiversity by connecting directly with the environment. A reoccurring event is working with the pre-college program at the University of Mississippi to design hands-on activities for K-12 students visiting the University. One notable event included leading a summer conservation camp for highschoolers, where students participated in hypothesis testing, invertebrate collection and identification, and explored local biodiversity while meeting diverse researchers from the University.

I work with educators in non-academic settings as well, creating events such as "Books and Bones" for the Lafayette Public Library and tabling at events hosted by the Mississippi Museum of Natural History.

Part of the Ecological Society of America, SEEDS is an undergraduate led organization focused on diversifying and advancing the ecology profession by providing opportunities for underrepresented students to learn about and participate in ecology. In 2023, a team of undergraduates, faculty and I worked to make the University of Mississippi an official chapter of the SEEDS organization. Since its founding, I have served as the graduate student representative, where I mentor undergraduates to build networks, learn about professional development, and host skill-building events. 

Every year we participate in the nation-wide BioBlitz, where we compete against other SEEDS chapters to collect the most observations using the citizen science app, iNaturalist. Other events include electrofishing and fish identification to learn about stream quality assessment, nature walks with our nature BINGO game, and drop in events where professors display specimens and talk about their research.

Most recently, we visited a speleologist (cave biologist) in Huntsville Alabama, where we learned about cave ecology and saw many cool species, such as the cave crawfish (no pigment due to the dark cave conditions), and the tricolored bat. Students even helped spot the Tennessee Cave Salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus; pictured in the top row - middle), which hasn't been seen in that cave system since 1968, suggesting that the aquatic community of the caves might be slowly recovering.