About Me

Presently, I am finishing up my final semester as an undergraduate at Indiana University. I will receive my B.S. in Geological Sciences this coming May. For my senior research project, Assistant Professor Laura Wasylenki is advising me on a petrographic analysis of metaquartzite samples from the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. I am analyzing and interpreting thin sections and chemical compositions of these samples to determine a method for sourcing stone tools used by prehistoric hominids. My samples are currently being dissolved in Hydrofluoric acid in the SESAME LAB before being run through the ICP-MS for trace element analysis. The Stone Age Institute funds my research.

While my current research is primarily petrological and geochemical I hope to switch gears in the future to upper crustal structures with an emphasis on seismology. These interests stem from my experiences this past summer at field camp, as well as my applied geophysics course from this past fall semester. At field camp I learned to map complex structures in the field, where geophysics introduced me to methods for imaging the subsurface. For our final project I focused on reducing seismic refraction data that we collected at our field site and found myself getting carried away (in a good way!).

When I get away from school and research you can find me outside. When a friend once asked me to list my top priorities in life I ranked personal fitness and healthy eating as numbers one and two. I am a firm believer that health is the key to a whole and happy life. I love to run, swim, and have recently gotten into rock climbing. I have many others hobbies, ranging from woodworking to caving. I am passionate about everything I do and my interests seem to be never ending.