Hello and welcome to my student profile on the UoG Animal Biosciences website. 

In 2017, I completed my BSc in marine & freshwater biology at the University of Guelph and followed it up with a one-year diploma program in aquaculture at Sir Sandford Fleming College in Lindsay, Ontario. Since then, I have worked as an aquaculture technician at the Center for Aquaculture Technologies in Canada and at the University of Ottawa in the Animal Care and Veterinary Services department. At these institutions I helped facilitate research projects on aquatic animals for student research, private industry, and government projects. 

As a MSc Thesis student in Dr. David Huyben’s lab, I will be investigating the effects of a partial insect diet on the growth and gut health of rainbow trout. These insects (black soldier flies) are of interest to the agriculture industry as a sustainable protein source in animal feeds. Studies also suggest that there are many beneficial aspects of feeding black soldier flies to fish. My research will look at parameters such as growth, microbiome diversity, and immune function to determine an optimal level of insect meal included in the diets of rainbow trout. This will inform feed producers and farmers on how to utilize insect meal in order to raise the healthiest, most robust, and fastest growing fish.  

As of November 2021, I am in my first semester and working on various courses that will give me a strong background for my research. My current courses include ANSC*6470 - Advanced Animal Nutrition I, UNIV*6020 - Applied Agricultural Stats, and ANSC*6610 - Communication and Development.

All things aquatic are of interest to me; my hobbies include scuba diving and fish keeping. I am very passionate about the field of aquaculture and want to ensure it is done in a sustainable, ecologically friendly, and financially productive way. My ultimate goal is to help develop the burgeoning aquaculture industry in Canada through research, data driven policy, and applied science.