Major: Marine Biology
Minor: Coastal Environmental Science and Society
Class Year: 2026
High School: McNeil High School
Advisors: Dr. Lene Petersen; Dr. David Hala
URS Thesis Title: Pharmaceuticals in the environment, a Study on Impact Among Aquatic Invertebrates in Terms of Physiology and Behavior
Research Focus: Physiology and behavior changes in response to pollutants, Population genomics and Speciation, Marine and Aquatic invertebrates, Herpetology
Other Projects and Publications: Radiation of Anolis opalinus, A Closer Look at Gene Flow and Mitochondrial Introgression in Anolis;
Effects of Human Pharmaceuticals on Daphnia magna Physiology and Behavior
Organizations and Programs: Undergraduate Research Ambassador
Awards and Distinctions: ACES Scholar, Undergraduate Symposium First Place Winner for Biological Science
Experience: California Academy of Science SSI Summer intern, Networking, Symposiums
Years Experience: 3
Other Activities: Paleoart, Video games, Crochet, Pickleball, Long walks with friends
Bio: Howdy! My name is Hope and I have been participating in undergraduate research since Sophomore year. I work with Dr. Lene Petersen and Dr. David Hala to determine the impacts that pollutants (particularly pharmaceuticals and PFAS) are having on aquatic animals. I'm continuing this research into my senior year and will be forming my thesis on it. In addition to this work, I have also worked with the California Academy of Science to evaluate population structure within Anolis lizards. I took my pharmaceutical research to the undergraduate research symposium and achieved 1st place for my work. My research interests are across multiple disciplines but my main focus is conservation and ecology, especially in the face of changing environments. I'm in the process of applying to graduate schools and hope to begin work on my PhD in spring 2026.