I graduated from Dr. Harwood’s lab in 2010 with a Ph.D. in Environmental and Ecological Microbiology. I am now working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development in Cincinnati, OH where I also completed my post-doctoral fellowship. My earlier research focused on studying microbial water quality at Florida beaches by detecting and quantifying fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), microbial source tracking (MST) markers and viral pathogens before and after remedial efforts, as well as employing Langrangian drifters to determine the effect of hydrology on local water quality. My special interest is investigating fate and transport of FIB, MST markers and pathogens in aquatic habitats and elucidating the effects various biotic and abiotic factors have on their survival. I have conducted a series of outdoor and in situ field experiments to determine how location (water column vs sediment), water type (freshwater vs marine), pollution source (sewage vs cattle manure), ambient sunlight, indigenous microbiota and 16S/18S community structure influence persistence. Most recently, my research focus has expanded to include development and evaluation of concentration methods for pathogenic viruses and bacteriophage as well as studies of ecology of these two viral groups in the aquatic habitats.