Bio
I currently serve as the Project Manager for the Plant-Microbe Interfaces Science Focus Area within ORNL’s Biosciences Division, sponsored by the DOE Genomic Science Program.
Professional Experience
From September 2018 to November 2025, I supported the ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC)—NASA's data archive for terrestrial biogeochemistry, ecology, and environmental processes. I performed in various capacities at the DAAC, most notably assisting in the coordination and planning of the project, especially in my role as a Scrum Master for NASA's Earthdata Cloud data migration. I also contributed to the curation and publication of datasets, science communications, and creating a variety of website content.
In January 2024, NASA selected me to serve as their Federal Coordinating Lead Author on the inaugural National Nature Assessment, an initiative designed to deepen our understanding of natural systems in the United States and their global implications. Unfortunately, this project was cancelled in February 2025.
In addition to my work with NASA, I have contributed to several projects within ORNL’s Environmental Sciences Division, including:
• Serving as Secretariat for the CEM Biofuture Platform Workstream on Biomass Quantification and Sustainability Governance, sponsored by the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO).
• Managing data and website content for the Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments-Arctic project, sponsored by the DOE Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Program.
• Developing a generic standard for data and metadata for the data repository Environmental System Science Data Infrastructure for a Virtual Ecosystem, sponsored by the DOE BER Program.
• Constructing a species trait dataset to evaluate impacts and risks in association with hydrological grid assets for the project Water Risk for the Bulk Power System: Asset to Grid Impacts, sponsored by the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium.
• Curating unreleased biorefinery data for the project Accelerating Bioenergy Technology Advancement Through FAIR Data Delivery, sponsored by the DOE BETO.
Education
I received my Ph.D. from the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) in 2017. See my outdated website to learn about my time in graduate school.
Professional Service
My LinkedIn Profile provides my community service activities.
Professional Affiliations
I voluntarily participate in Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Biological Data Standards Cluster.