Megan is a first year PhD student at the University of Rhode Island studying how oysters evolve to stress in their environments. She is a Louisiana native and graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.S. in Biology. During her undergraduate career at LSU she worked on characterizing the microbiomes of northern Gulf of Mexico oysters for her senior thesis. She has also had internships researching subsurface microbiology, macro-invertebrate beach ecology, and the microbial ecology of the lower Mississippi River. She hopes to integrate her interests in microbiology and environmental quality in her PhD research. She is forever grateful for the support of her mentors who have helped her every step of the way. Outside of science, Megan enjoys podcasts, bike rides, and baking.