I am a palaeobotanist with a specialization in palaeomycology, the study of fossil fungi. I have always been fascinated with all things paleontology and have a strong background in illustration, art, and graphic design. During my undergraduate, I completed a double degree at Purdue University in Botany and Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics; my favourite modules were in plant anatomy and plant pathology. In graduate school, combining all of these interests and adding in a passion for mycology, I completed a Ph.D. at the University of Kansas on studying the diversity of Permian and Triassic fungi from Antarctica. After graduate school, I received an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to work in Munich, Germany at the Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology (BSPG) to study fungi from late Palaeozoic ecosystems, including the world famous Rhynie chert from Scotland. I then had three postdoctoral positions with the US National Science Foundation (NSF) ZyGoLife, NSF Office of Polar Research Antarctica, and the German Research Foundation (DFG) at the BSPG, all focused on studying fossil fungi. My research has allowed me to conduct fieldwork all over the world, including Antarctica. In March 2020, I joined the Discipline of Botany as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science.