My research interests center around the biological process governed by plant roots and the symbiotic microbiomes across diverse plant species. In the Juenger lab, my research focuses on the role of switchgrass genotype, local environments, and their interaction in the patterns of root growth, development, and physiology.

I received my Ph.D. in Ecology from Pennsylvania State University. My dissertation research focused on nutrient foraging of roots and fungi (mycorrhizas) and their influences on carbon and nutrient cycles in the temperate forests of eastern United States. After finishing my PhD, I spent a year as a postdoc working at University of Illinois on the arctic shrub project. This project studied the influence of climate warming and shrub expansion on plant functional traits and soil carbon storage in the Alaskan tundra ecosystem.