BA in Anthropology, University of Alaska Fairbanks 2018

MA in Anthropology, University of Virginia 2021

Specialties

Language and Interspecies Socialization, Embodiment, Language and gender, Interspecies Relationship, Interaction, and Communication, Sport (Rugby, Equestrian), Group identities in sport

I am a PhD student in linguistic and cultural anthropology researching human-horse interaction and communication in West Texas. My research joins recent work that uses multimodal analysis of interaction and linguistic anthropological theory to understand interspecies contexts. Through investigating human-horse interactions and relationships, I try to understand how humans and horses accomplish interactions together and how we can understand cooperation/resistence in interspecies interactions.

My previous research interests were focused on rugby players and linguistic practices in Oceania, specifically Aotearoa New Zealand. This interest grew out of an undergraduate thesis I wrote on the social song practices of collegiate women rugby players in the US. I became interested in haka (posture dance) and Aotearoa New Zealand because of the practice and appropriation of the form that some US teams particiapted in as well as the influence of the All Blacks (New Zealands' national men's team) on the aspiring ruggers in the US. Though my research has shifted, my interest in communication beyond speech and embodiment in interaction continues to weave through my work.

I have cared for and ridden horses since I was five years old. In Virginia, I have started to reguarly ride and be around horses again, primarily through volunteer work at Hope's Legacy Equine Rescue in Afton, VA. At HLER, I feed, assist in building/maintaining the facilty, travel to get surrendered and seized equines, and work with the horses to help them be adopted. If you're interested, please visit the link on this page. The rescue has open houses in the summer, child educational programs, an annual 5k trail run, and many volunteer opportunities.