I was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona and graduated with a B.A. in both Political Science and Global Studies from Arizona State University. Fun fact: My entire immediate family - mom, dad, and older brother - are also ASU alumni. I was fortunate to receive outstanding mentorship throughout my undergraduate education, and that led to my decision to pursue a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Iowa. I absolutely loved my time living in Iowa City and am a proud Sun Devil / Hawkeye alum!
My husband is a fellow Hawkeye alum who earned his Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Culture from the University of Iowa in 2023. After moving to Gainesville, Florida to start our next academic adventures, we began fostering dogs for local animal shelters. That experience has brought us tremendous joy, and rescue dogs hold a very special place in our hearts. In fact, since moving to Gainesville in 2022, we have adopted two rescue dogs — Lilah, our 5-year-old pitbull from Alachua County Animal Resources & Care, and Opal, our 5-month-old puppy from the Humane Society of North Central Florida. With the cutest wiggle-butts and hearts as big as their ears, Lilah and Opal are easy to love. We feel very lucky to be their humans!
When I’m not working on campus, I enjoy spending my time volunteering at local animal shelters, teaching spin classes at CycleBar Gainesville, or exploring the craft breweries around town. Of course, I also enjoy just being at home, curled up on the couch with my little family.
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