I studied reproductive isolation in the flowering plant genus Mimulus, specifically hybrid seed lethality and hybrid sterility in Dr. Andrea Sweigart's genetics laboratory at the University of Georgia. My past projects involved analyzing the structural differences in seed development between hybrid and pure species crosses of Mimulus guttatus and tilingii flowers, and understanding the role of the endosperm in hybrid seed inviability. My current project involves analyzing the role of chromosomal rearrangements in hybrid sterility between species within the Mimulus tilingii complex.

I worked to create a linear equation to estimate the body size of lizards without documented body sizes and/or those without a complete skeleton in Dr. Melissa Kemp's paleobiology lab. I took skeletal measurements for each lizard specimens from lizards that are endemic to the Southwest United States. I created linear equations in R studio based on each skeletal measurement for each genus/family, and cross validated those equations using specimens with known body sizes that weren’t included in that groups’ linear equation to determine which skeletal measurement would be the best to use to estimate the body size of a lizard sample. We were able to identify three skeletal measurements that consistently yielded the most accurate body sizes.