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I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at Texas A&M University, where I study the impacts of climate change on cattle production in the U.S. Great Plains. In February of 2018 I defended my dissertation in Geography at the University of Oklahoma. And before coming to the U.S. in 2012, I graduated with a master of science equivalent in geography, minoring in meteorology and cartography, from Dresden University of Technology in Germany.
Growing up on a family farm in former East Germany gave me an early appreciation for nature and rural life. Traveling through Australia after high school and working on cattle and sheep farms in the Outback, I continued to learn how vulnerable agriculture is to drought, heat, and flooding. While studying geography, a second passion of mine grew, photography and journalism. For five years, I worked as writer for local and regional newspapers, wrote stories and interviews that were published in Dresden and nationally. As a skilled photographer, I also delivered high-quality images along with my articles. In 2012, shortly after starting my Ph.D., I combined my interests in research and journalism and co-founded the Early Career Climate Forum, an online forum and blog connecting graduate students and early-career professional working in areas related to climate. Since 2012, I have written over a dozen blog posts, from interviews with Katharine Hayhoe and Bill Hooke to how-to articles on designing online surveys and conference posters. I am interested in conducting collaborative, interdisciplinary, actionable research to improve our ability to adapt to climate change. Too often, research is conducted in disciplinary silos and removed from the real world. But especially in the field of climate change adaptation, we need to acknowledge the limitations of our own disciplines and collaborate with stakeholders and peers from other fields to achieve practicable outcomes that fit the needs of real-world decision making. I strive to advance our ability to adapt to climate change through my own research, as well as through science advocacy and teaching.
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