I grew up in Hartford, South Dakota and received my B.A. at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I fell in love with ecology and plants during my time in undergrad. There, I studied the extrinsic factors that restrict the habitat range of certain milkweeds, looking specifically at water stress and herbivory. I also worked with sorghum, looking into the possible genetic manipulation of leaf angle. I'm now working towards a ECS M.S. here at NDSU. I'm interested in studying plant adaptations, particularly how prairie plants respond to changing climate conditions.