I live for outdoor adventures, for jumping into crystal-clear, ice-cold alpine lakes, and for the opportunity that academia has given me to understand, protect, and explore the beautiful natural world we live in!  

My passion for ecology and evolutionary research began while I was growing up in the tropical rainforest of Borneo and on the Malaysian island of Penang. Both in Asia—and in my home country of South Africa—I was enthralled by the hornbills flying overhead, the colorful tropical fish in the warm oceans, the dwarf chameleons in my back yard, the tortoises that ambled across the road, and the many species of insects, snakes, and butterflies that I would frequently cross paths with. This initial curiosity and excitement has now translated into a motivation to use evolutionary theory and genomic tools and questions to further explore the natural world. I have loved my experience in academia and hope to pursue a PhD in the future that uses these questions to contribute to a growing understanding of evolution and the natural world.