Tessie is a Marine Biology major with an Animal Studies minor (Class of 2027). She worked for nearly two years at an exotic animal rehoming center, gaining extensive experience in reptile care, handling, and welfare education.

Her research interests focus on reptile cognition, welfare, and sensory studies. In the HERP Lab, Tessie has led coding projects on leopard geckos and bearded dragons, contributed to object habituation and preference tests, and helped develop new methodologies for food preference studies in crested geckos. She has also worked on iNaturalist projects and is currently developing counterbalancing protocols for upcoming trials as part of her thesis work.