I am an insect ecologist researching dispersal, biodiversity, and macroecology in the context of global environmental change. My current work focuses on using radar remote sensing to quantify insect abundance, biodiversity, and movement.

My research can be organized around a couple themes: (i) what role does dispersal play in determining biodiversity and community structure; (ii) how are ecological processes linked to patterns at large spatial scales; and (iii) how can we integrate 'traditional' ecological and entomological sampling (=tailored to specific questions and high data quality, but also slow/expensive and highly local) with 'big' data sources such as remote sensing, radar, and data gleaning from existing databases (=large volume of data at large spatial scales, but often low taxonomic resolution).

I am currently a post doctoral researcher at The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research WSL, working with Dr. Silke Bauer on the HiRAD project. This Biodiversa funded project seeks to establish radar as a core tool for aerial biodiversity monitoring, by improving the access, harmonization, visualization, and integration of biological data from small-scale and weather radars across Europe. Within this project, my focus is on developing methods for weather surveilland based aerial monitoring of insects.

Prior to my position at WSL, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oklahoma with Dr. Jeff Kelly, and as a postdoctoral research and teaching fellow at the University of Georgia with Dr. Sonia Altizer. I received my PhD at the University of Maryland in dr. Dan Gruner's lab in the Entomology Department, as part of the Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics graduate program.

Besides a scientist, I am also a rugby player, and I enjoy anything outdoors (hiking, camping, kayaking), baking, and learning new stuff. I also like to apply my data skills to creating societal change.