I grew up in Vale, South Dakota, a town of 114 people an hour north of Rapid City. I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Applied and Computational Mathematics at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City in 2006. My love for the outdoors brought me to Flagstaff, AZ and Northern Arizona University where I completed my Masters in Statistics in 2008. I worked as an actuarial student at Scottsdale Insurance Company in Scottsdale, AZ prior to returning to graduate studies in 2010.

I completed my Ph.D. in Statistics at Arizona State University (ASU) in 2013. During my time at ASU, I worked with Randall Eubank as my dissertation advisor. My dissertation focused on the testing of pseudorandom numbers in a parallel computing environment using R and C++.

Before moving in the summer of 2015 to start work as an Instructional Technologist/Statistical Consultant at Reed College, I was an assistant professor in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department at Ripon College in Wisconsin for two years. I then worked in the positions of Senior Curriculum Lead and Head of Content Development for DataCamp. Next, I was a Data Science Evangelist and Technical Trainer for the DataRobot University team at DataRobot. In my role at DataRobot, I taught and developed content for in-person and virtual trainings on data science and machine learning including the DataRobot Essentials/AutoML I, DataRobot for Data Scientists, API I with R, API I with Python, and Time Series Modeling courses. In July 2021, I became Director of Data Science Education at Flatiron School before being promoted to Senior Director. Since January 2024, I’ve been a freelance data science consultant and Vice President of Data and Automation at MATE Seminars.

I am interested in the use of simulation and statistical computing to improving statistics and data science education. My passion is for working with others on statistical projects using the R computing language and on pushing for reproducible research in all aspects. I am also interested in statistics in sports and in enhancing public awareness and knowledge of the fields of statistics and data science. I have taught many collegiate courses over the last ten years with varying roles from primary instructor to recitation/lab leader. My love for engaging students in mathematical, computational, and statistical concepts influences my work greatly.

I enjoy cooking, hiking, traveling, playing racquetball, basketball, and pickleball, and getting some great use out of my Hydrow.