Background – A relative newcomer to the fisheries field, I received my B.S. in Environmental Field Biology from Lewis-Clark State College (Lewiston, ID) in 1997. During college, I worked for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Forest Service conducting snorkel surveys investigating juvenile chinook salmon and bull trout populations in northern Idaho. In the fall of 1997, I started a master’s program at the University of Idaho under Christine Moffitt, studying whirling disease. After graduating with my M.S. in Fisheries Resources in 1999, I continued working at the University of Idaho for Dr. Moffitt on several projects, including erythromycin monitoring and the beginning phases of developing the plenary session for the annual AFS meeting held last year in St. Louis. I was awarded an Alumni Award of Excellence from the University in 1999. I left Idaho last June to work as a Fisheries Biologist for the Yurok Tribe in Northern California, where I am monitoring salmonid populations in tributarries of the Lower Klamath River.

AFS Involvement – While I attended the University of Idaho, I joined AFS and became an active member of the Palouse Unit, serving as graduate representative during 1998-1999. While a member of the Palouse Unit, I also helped organize their annual wild game feed fundraiser, worked on stream clean-ups, and organized a cooperative fishing day with a local agency assisting people with disabilities. In 1999, I was awarded best student paper/presentation at the Western Division annual meeting held in Moscow, Idaho. After moving to California in 2000, I joined the Humboldt Chapter and was elected Secretary/Treasurer. As Secretary/Treasurer for the chapter, I have worked to update the member database and convert all communications to an electronic format, a move that should facilitate communication among chapter members and enable chapter information to be distributed among members more efficiently. I am also the chair of the Humboldt Chapter membership committee and have been working to improve student involvement in the chapter.