Samantha, a plant lover by nature from American Fork, Utah, has always followed her passions wholeheartedly. She’s a licensed cosmetologist, certified yoga instructor, and former high school color guard director. After exploring various paths, she found her true calling in botany.

A recent graduate in Botany from Utah Valley University, Sam immersed herself in studying plants with a focus of working on the tricky-to-classify Ericameria nauseosa with the guidance of her mentor. She also gained hands-on experience during an internship with Young Living, where she studied bees, lavender, Monarch butterflies, and milkweed, which further fueled her passion for scientific research. Now, she’s thrilled to continue her journey at California Botanic Garden!

Despite her busy academic and professional life, Samantha prioritizes spending meaningful time with her family, including her parents, twin, siblings, and her loving husband. She feels both grateful and excited to be pursuing her dream career.

Sam’s research interests span plant-pollinator relationships, pollination, speciation, plant population dynamics, and phylogenetic relationships. Building on her undergraduate work with Ericameria nauseosa, she is now focusing on another species complex within the genus: Ericameria parryi. Her goal is to deepen the understanding of speciation and hybridization, while also re-evaluating its current taxonomy. Through this work, she hopes to shed light on the complexities of this fascinating group of plants!