I was born and raised in Austin, Texas and have been an animal nerd for longer than I can remember (2-year-old Rebecca wanted to be a zebra when she grew up). I pursued this passion by getting a B.S. in Biology (concentration: Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior) from the University of Texas at Austin. While there, I also got a B.A. in Iberian and Latin American Languages and Cultures (concentration: Spanish). I participated in research during my undergrad, working with then-graduate student Dr. Tracy Burkhard in Dr. Steve Phelps' lab. We studied condition, physiology, neuroscience, sexual selection, and behavior in Alston's singing mice (Scotinomys teguina).

​

I worked several short-term field jobs during and after my undergrad to diversify my experiences. First, I participated in two field seasons with the Phelps lab doing small mammal trapping and field experiments on singing mice in Costa Rica. I then worked with Dr. Eric Walters as a field assistant on the long-term acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) population and behavioral ecology project at the Hastings Natural History Reserve in California. Finally, I worked at the USDA's Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab in Syndey, Montana. I worked with Dr. Robert Srygley studying physiology and community ecology of Mormon crickets (Anabrus simplex) in high-elevation rangeland systems.

​

I then pursued my PhD at the University of Kentucky studying social behavior in honey bees with Dr. Clare Rittschof. I researched some of the complex links between previous experiences, behavior, and health in these insects. You can read more about my projects in the "Publications" and "Current Research" tabs above.

​

I am now working as a Postdoctoral Fellow through the NIH-funded "Common Themes in Reproductive Diversity" program at Indiana University under the supervision of Dr. Armin Moczek. My current research investigates how sex, reproductive tactic, early-life nutrition, the microbiome, and invasion history influence behavior and cognition in Onthophagine dung beetles. See the "Current Research" tab for more information.

​

I truly love being a scientist and sharing my passion through teaching, outreach, and connection within the scientific community. I can't wait to see what new discoveries about animal behavior we make next!