Jennifer is a wildlife disease biologist with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from Texas State University and a Master of Science in Veterinary Medical Science–Pathobiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has experience in wildlife rehabilitation, zoological animal care, specimen curation and veterinary diagnostic research. These interdisciplinary experiences inform her research interests, focused on emerging infectious diseases in wildlife, spillover into zoologic, domestic and commercial animal populations, and the use of natural history museum biorepositories to inform disease surveillance and One Health research.
Jennifer also serves as a consultant, providing strategic guidance to several organizations that work to promote awareness of and develop treatments for visible and invisible disabilities.
As a neurodivergent professional, she is committed to amplifying voices from underrepresented groups in science. She believes it’s important to recognize the unique insights, strengths and resilience that individuals with diverse physical, learning or medical disabilities bring to wildlife biology. She looks forward to collaborating with others to build a supportive network where all wildlife professionals and students are valued, empowered and able to contribute to the field.
