Tell us about your background.
I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland (USA), and got my undergraduate degree from Colorado College in 2021. I have researched the effects of human impacts (e.g., climate change, invasive species) in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems across the tropics of Latin America and Africa. Some highlights include studying the distribution of invasive orchids in Puerto Rico under climate change at the University of Puerto Rico, researching how elephant grouping behavior responds to severe rainfall events in Tanzania with the School for Field Studies, and investigating the degree to which native fish predators (e.g., pufferfish, triggerfish) control invasive species at the mouth of the Panama Canal with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. These experiences collectively showed me the pervasiveness of human impacts across tropical systems and taxa, but also taught me the utility of field research in understanding their effects. I am now a PhD student at the University of Notre Dame, and I come to Mpala to research how savanna plant communities, which support wild and domesticated herbivore populations, respond to human impacts like climate change.
What projects are you currently working on at Mpala?
Climate change is expected to alter rainfall patterns in East Africa, and wild herbivore populations are decreasing in many savanna systems. These changes in water availability and degree of consumption by herbivores will likely have profound effects on savanna plants. Conserving savannas in the Anthropocene requires, among many other efforts, a predictive understanding of how they will respond to human impacts. Field experiments that mimic the effects of human impacts in a controlled manner (e.g., altering rainfall levels to mimic climate change, building herbivore exclosures to mimic herbivore extinction) can reveal the implications of human impacts before they become widespread across the landscape. One of my projects involved digging up plants found only in certain sections of Mpala’s steep rainfall gradient and replanting them into herbivore exclosures (UHURU) across the rainfall gradient. In doing so, I am experimentally mimicking various combinations of climate change and herbivore declines. I am now tracking the plant’s survival, growth, and reproduction under these various conditions to hopefully shed light on how savanna plants at large will respond to these human impacts.
What is one of your favourite things about working at Mpala?
Mpala is a unique and special place to live and work at, and I always feel an immense privilege to be a part of Mpala’s community of staff, administration, and researchers. First and foremost, the incredible work done by Mpala’s staff and administration provides an unparalleled level of support during fieldwork that allows me to ask bigger research questions and carry out more ambitious field projects. Having the opportunity to meet and interact with the diverse array of researchers working at Mpala has exposed me to new fields of savanna ecology and exciting research ideas, and given me wonderful friendships.
What impact do you believe your time at Mpala will have on your professional career?
Mpala is an epicenter for savanna ecology research and has a legacy for hosting groundbreaking projects and findings. I believe my time at Mpala will produce meaningful contributions towards understanding and conserving savanna ecosystems, while also fostering additional collaborative projects and professional opportunities over the rest of my career.