Received her PhD in Animal Behavior from UC Davis in May 2007. She completed postdoctoral research in ornithology at Univ. Nevada - Reno. Received her M.S. (2002) in Avian Studies at UC Davis with research relating to the behavioral development in parrot chicks. Graduated in 2000 summa cum laude from Arizona State University in 2000, majoring in biology. Did an honor's thesis on Comet Hyakutake.