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At the age of 19, I worked my first shift as a medical assistant at an abortion clinic in Maine. This experience inspired a graduate career in gender studies and public health, as well as a lifelong commitment to comprehensive and compassionate sexual and reproductive healthcare and equity.

After receiving my PhD in gender and women’s studies and MPH in global health from Emory University, I completed one postdoctoral fellowship in HIV/AIDS and sexuality at Columbia University and one in contraceptive technology at Princeton University.

I am currently a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I’m also affiliated with Sociology, Population Health Sciences, and the La Follette School of Public Affairs.

I have the privilege of serving as the Director for UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE). UW CORE is a research initiative focused on reproductive healthcare access and delivery, policy evaluation, and communication to address critical needs in reproductive health and healthcare in Wisconsin. We aim to conduct rigorous research and plate up accessible, policy-relevant information regarding contraception and abortion access in Wisconsin and beyond.

I grew up in beautiful Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and my family members still live nearby in Portland and on Peaks Island. I enjoy life in Madison with my sweetie, Bobby, our eleven year-old son, Atticus, and the world’s zaniest palindrome-named feline, TacoCat. I love visiting my teeny-tiny local library, swimming when it’s still dark out, further entrenching my laugh lines, and getting a good night’s sleep.

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