So, you’re studying…rocks?
For much of my life, I believed my path was in the arts. I grew up immersed in performing arts schools, worked as a Disneyland character performer, and even spent time as a touring aerial acrobatic artist. Those experiences shaped how I move through the world creatively and collaboratively, but over time, I realized something was missing.
That changed when I took a geology class on a whim. Suddenly, questions I’d been asking my entire life like why mountains take their shape, how landscapes evolve, how rocks record deep time, all had answers grounded in Earth science. That moment reshaped my future and led me into geoscience and geographic technologies, where I built a strong foundation in geology, fieldwork, and spatial thinking.
As a non-traditional student, I’ve embraced hands-on opportunities to deepen my skills, working as a geoscience tutor and field assistant and gaining extensive field experience across the western United States. These roles strengthened my understanding of Earth processes and reinforced the importance of accessibility, care, and inclusion in science.
Through my studies, I discovered a passion for mapping and spatial analysis, which drew me toward geography, GIS, and cartography. Mapping became the bridge between Earth science and planetary science allowing me to apply geologic principles to both terrestrial landscapes and planetary surfaces. I’ve worked with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to map lava flows on Venus and explore surface morphology, while also using GIS to examine Earth-based hazards and environmental patterns.
Today, my work sits at the intersection of Earth science, planetary mapping, and visual communication. Whether I’m mapping volcanic features on Venus or geologic hazards on Earth, my goal is the same: to translate complex scientific processes into clear, meaningful maps that support understanding, preparedness, and informed decision-making. Because the worlds we study, on Earth and beyond, deserve both curiosity and care.
A Few Snapshots...
Checking out some dipping beds on a hike in the White Inyos.
Interviewing Arnold Schwarzenegger as a Junior Broadcaster for the Greater Las Vegas Inner City Games.
Competing in the National Geographic Geography Bee.
My siblings and I hiking the Narrows in Zion NP.
Hiking the Narrows in Zion NP as a teen.
Performing as a guest aerialist in Wendy Hassenpflug's Master thesis performance at CSUN.
Performing as an aerial artist in Aerial Experience Production's "Imagine Christmas" in Galveston, TX.
Balancing on a sailing stone in the Racetrack Playa, Death Valley
Picking some serpentinite out of the Melones Fault Zone.
Sketching in my field journal at Tunnel View, Yosemite NP.
Getting an aerial view of the Sheep Mountain Anticline, Wyoming.
A study in hydrogeology (aka white water rafting on the Snake River, Wyoming).
Some light mapping of the Johnnie (Oolitic) Formation.
My husband Blake and I on a Dana Club trip in Big Sur, CA.
Sitting on the edge of the Grand Canyon, AZ.
Kaibab's Burgers (aka hiking the South Kaibab Trail dressed as Bob's Burgers characters).