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I graduated from UNCA in 2017 and am currently a graduate student in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Michigan State University Dr. Sarah Lebeis’ laboratory. My research centers around understanding the plant root microbiome.  While soils are very diverse microbial communities, only a subset of these microbes are able to colonize inside the root. These microbes perform functions like pathogen protection, nutrient acquisition, and growth promotion for their plant hosts. I aim to understand how these microbial communities assemble inside the plant root. Specifically, I am interested both in microbial and plant factors, like secondary metabolite production and the plant immune system, that influence the resulting root microbiome community. My undergraduate work with Dr. Ward focused on population genetics of river otters, to make breeding recommendations for zoo facilities.