Department of Geography and Planning

I graduated from Appalachian State in May of 2021 with a degree in Geography while also obtaining a GIS certificate. I am a local to Boone, as I have lived here my whole life. I have always had a passion for data, and discovered my love for maps while I was in middle school. I enjoy the human side of Geography more, specifically population and demographics. After three years of working, I decided to come back to App to pursue a master’s degree, so I am very excited to be back. 

Outside of school, I enjoy traveling, running, and spending time with my cat.

I began working with geospatial tools and communities in 2011 as a member of the National 4-H GPS/GIS Team in high school. After I graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2019 with a B.A. in communication studies, I was the communications specialist for YouthMappers (a network of 400+ university mapping chapters in 80+ countries). Through my involvement in YouthMappers, the last five years as a staff member and chapter co-adviser, I've co-authored four book chapters related to open mapping, open movements, and the Sustainable Development Goals. During my Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in the Lao P.D.R. from 2022-2024, I developed research interests in youth development, geospatial communities, open mapping, rural accessibility, landlocked countries, and experiential learning. While I'm pursuing a master's in geography, I'll be working full-time as the Assistant Director of Nationally Competitive and Experiential Learning Scholarships here at Appalachian.

Outside of open mapping, I enjoy hiking, learning languages (I'm studying Spanish and Lao), traveling to countries off the beaten path, and dancing with Latin Dance Boone.

I graduated with my B.S. in Environmental Science - Earth Systems Science with a minor in Geography in the spring of 2025 and decided to continue my studies by pursuing a graduate degree in Geography, all here at Appalachian State University.

As an undergraduate, I was involved in outreach through the Devonian Anoxia, Geochemistry, Geochronology, and Extinction Research Project and spent time as an intern at the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, New York for the project. I also completed work conducting quantitative analysis of thawed permafrost samples through Syracuse University, including determining dissolved organic carbon content, total nitrogen content, and ion analysis.

My research interests are largely focused on environmental justice and equity through the use of quantitative research and analysis by means of a humanistic approach. I look forward to continuing to be involved in research pertaining to these interests, such as Dr. Wang's Climate Extremes and the Reshaping of Urban Poverty Landscapes in the United States, which was grant-funded research, thanks to the Research Institute for Environment, Energy, and Economics.

I am a two-time captain of the Appalachian State Field Hockey team, as well as a four-time Division I Scholar of Distinction, and in my free time enjoy being outdoors, reading, spending time with my friends, and skiing.

I graduated from Appalachian State University in 2023 with a B.S. in Geography and a Certification in Geographic Information Systems. During my time as an undergraduate, I found my passion for geography through the history courses I took for my minor. Since changing my academic focus to geography, I have been interested in GIS, Urban Planning, and many facets of human geography as well. As a graduate student, I am working with Dr. Elizabeth Shay and Dr. Chris Quattro on their research involving planning techniques throughout Boone, NC & Scotland as well as Dr. Quattro’s research regarding planning legislation. I am super excited to be a part of the program and to work with my colleagues and faculty! In my spare time, I enjoy reading, spending time outside, and collecting vinyl records.

I am a second year graduate student in the Department of Geography and Planning at Appalachian State University. My research focuses on the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to quantify, analyze, and model natural patterns and processes in Appalachia’s watersheds. I also work as the Scholarship Coordinator for the Appalachian Medical Reserve Corps, where I am responsible for leading mapping projects related to public health and emergency preparedness in North Carolina. After graduate school, I am hoping to contribute my skills and experience in both public health and fluvial geomorphology towards watershed management, considering both environmental conservation and community resilience. 

In May 2025, I graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainable Development. Since then, I have been pursuing a master’s degree in Geography with a concentration in Urban Planning through the accelerated master’s program. 

During my undergraduate studies, I worked with Dr. Shay on a research project analyzing car ownership trends in Western North Carolina before and after Hurricane Helene. This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern with the City of Lenoir’s Planning Department, where I contributed to a variety of projects, including GIS mapping, downtown property rendering, and city ordinance research. In addition to my project work, I also had the privilege of observing the inner workings of city government by attending multiple city meetings. 

The experiences I have gained at Appalachian State have strengthened my passion for urban planning and design, while preparing me to enter the professional planning field. After completing graduate school, I intend to work for a city planning department and eventually transition into a private urban design consulting firm. 

In my free time, I work at the Schaefer Center on campus and enjoy backpacking, traveling, and playing card games with my roommates. 

I graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.S. in Geography and a GIS Certificate in May 2024. During the summer before my senior year of undergrad, I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad for two and a half weeks in Peru on a trip led by Dr. Baker Perry. While in Peru, I was immersed in the vibrant, historic culture of the Quechua people and I discovered my passion for the intersectionality of geographic studies. I witnessed the phenomena of glacial lakes in one of the most vulnerable regions of the world, and returned to the states confident that I wanted to further my studies of physical geography in undergraduate research.

I then worked as an undergraduate research assistant with Dr. Baker Perry under funding from App State's Research Institute for Environment, Energy, and Economics. Utilizing weather station data from various Andean water towers, my research delved into the effects of climate change on precipitation patterns in high-altitude regions of South America. I was funded to present this research at the 80th Eastern Snow Conference in Waterloo, Canada in June 2024.

I plan on continuing my research journey in graduate school as a research assistant to Dr. Maggie Sugg with funding from her NSF grant. My initial project will be looking into patterns of domestic violence and intimate partner violence throughout the United States during extreme social or climatic events. While my research interests are currently broad, I do know that I enjoy learning about human-environment interactions, public health, atmospheric sciences, and feminist geography.

I usually spend my free time reading, going to concerts, and hanging out with my partner and our cats, Stella & Lucille, and dogs, Dexter & Twyla.