Future biodiversity research relies on communicating current biodiversity patterns and processes to the general public  to foster community engagement. My public teaching goals and community engagement seeks to increase access to and appreciation for biodiversity within many different areas of our society. 

Rural co-teaching/learning

Rural communities are often the first to interact with poorly known threatened species such as many of the land snail species I studied during my dissertation. The cultural connectedness of these communities to the local wildlife can serve as a resource for future conservation and academic research. This is particularly true for native communities as their natural history heritage and sovereignty can lead to new avenues of biodiversity research for local species and fast independent implementation of conservation policy. 

I have worked on teaching expeditions and field research with many tribal members during my dissertation (Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock, Choctaw) to understand how Native American perspectives can be interwoven with Western science and conservation policy. As a non-traditionally raised Cherokee, I am personally invested in these initiatives (such as being an ISTEM scholar and involved in PNW-COSMOS) to become a better future mentor of other Native American students and to honor my family's history of serving the tribe.