I am proud to be an applied ecologist leading research at the University of Nevada, Reno who works to ensure that my work is pertinent and valuable outside of the ‘ivory tower’ of academia. I work in close partnerships with multiple land and wildlife management agencies like the Bureau of Land Management and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. My first undergraduate degree was in Psychology and I added a secondary major in Zoology to focus on animal behavior. With that background, I remember that not only is science critical, but I must also strive to continually and effectively communicate my findings to the individuals and groups that can best put these findings into action. My M.S. is in Forestry from Michigan State University and my PhD research was also conducted at the University of Nevada, Reno through the interdisciplinary Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology program. My PhD research monitored non-game wildlife (reptiles, rodents, bats, birds, and insects) in response to sagebrush restoration projects conducted across the Great Basin.