B.A., Biology and Zoology, Humboldt State University, 1986.
M.A., Biology, Humboldt State University, 1991.

My interest in the natural history of mammals began on family safaris while growing up in Kenya. Helping my mom catalogue ethnographical objects at the National Museums of Kenya solidified my fascination with natural history collections. While working on a Masters Degree in Biology at Humboldt State University, I had the chance to participate in the preparation of a rotting gray whale skull that had washed up on the beach, and knew at once that I had found my niche. In 1989, I joined The Field Museum as Collection Manager in the Division of Mammals, one of the largest collections of mammal specimens in the world. Each summer I return to East Africa to study small mammals that inhabit the mountain forests of Tanzania, particularly the Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM), in collaboration with Tanzanian biologists.

Our investigation of the EAM forest mammalian fauna is important because of the number of endemic plants and animals that are found in the upper montane areas of these mountains, and how poorly these organisms are understood. Since 1991, we have been investigating the natural history of small mammals (shrews, bats and rodents) of the EAM in an effort to document aspects of their natural history and elucidate the biogeographical history of the group. The Eastern Arc Mountains are considered by several biologists as a priority conservation area in tropical Africa and the information we are collecting is critical for developing conservation strategies for the region. Training of Tanzanian biology students is an important aspect of this ongoing project.