Whether Alison is studying how climate change affects the ocean or swimming in Lake Champlain, Alison is happiest exploring aquatic ecosystems. In her research, Alison is interested in the capacity of marine invertebrates to adapt to environmental variation. As a PhD student in the Biology department, Alison plans to investigate the relationship between physiological plasticity and environmental heterogeneity in the context of global change resilience. This work will be conducted using an ecologically relevant and broadly distributed species of marine zooplankton.

Prior to moving to Vermont, Alison two years in a small village in Nepal as a Peace Corps volunteer. Alison cherishes these years spent learning about agricultural development, women's empowerment, and nutrition from her Nepali friends and family. She has also worked on a diverse range of research projects in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and North Carolina.

In her free time, Alison enjoys exploring the outdoors by foot or ski, reading with various book clubs, playing the cello, and of course, splashing in the water.

Advisor: Melissa Pespeni