Director of Academic Engagement, Natural & Quantitative Sciences
I am a long-time member of the Duke Community: I earned my B.S. in Evolutionary Anthropology (and a minor in German) in 2011 and Ph.D. from the University Program in Ecology in 2019. I am a wildlife ecologist studying the iconic lemurs of Madagascar. My research is focused on how lemurs, particularly sifakas, adapt to changing conditions and heterogeneous environments. In Madagascar, our team’s projects are run through collaborative partnerships with in-country scientists designed to fill gaps in conservation knowledge while offering opportunities for Malagasy students. After grad school, I worked at the Duke Lemur Center and in Dr. Anne Yoder’s lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow where I studied local adaptation in sifakas, hibernation in dwarf lemurs, and speciation in mouse lemurs.
As DAE for Natural & Quantitative Sciences, my role is to help Duke students achieve their collegiate goals, while working with campus partners across STEM fields to develop more inclusive programming. I have always enjoyed working with students, whether at Duke or in Madagascar, and I am eager to pay forward the excellent mentorship I had as a student (most of it informal and unrecognized!).
Outside of work, you can find me discussing lemur science with my wife and fellow lemur expert Dr. Marina Blanco, hiking in the woods, taking ballet class, or enjoying coffee at a local haunt. You can also follow my and Marina’s adventures on Instagram @lemurscientist.
Schedule an appointment with me here.