I am a biological anthropologist, with expertise in human evolution, forensic anthropology, biological variation, skeletal biology and anatomy education. My teaching focuses on creating engaging, evidence-based anatomy education that helps learners connect the foundational sciences, specifically embryology, anatomy and histology, to the lived experience of their patients as a means to improve health outcomes.

My teaching is heavily informed by my research. I focus on the intersection between our biology and the lived human. I am interested in educational approaches that promote belonging and help students understand the social and historical contexts of health, medicine and identity. To meet these ends, I apply medical humanist and reflective practice frameworks to critically engage students in the basic sciences.

Outside the classroom, I serve as a forensic anthropologist with the National Disaster Medical System and Oregon's Mass Fatality Incident Team and enjoy sharing the real-world applications of anatomy and skeletal biology, whether through casework, community outreach, student mentorship or collaboration with colleagues across disciplines. My research contributes to international studies of human evolution and skeletal biology and has appeared in journals such as Nature Communications, Scientific Reports and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

As an associate professor, I teach students in the Medical, Dental, Physician Associate, and Radiation Therapyprograms. Additionally, I direct anatomy instruction for the Wy'East Pathway Program, which prepares Native students for training in the health professions, and serve as faculty advisor to the Medical Student Queer Health Alliance. I strive to create learning environments where students feel supported, challenged and empowered to develop their own interests and professional identities.