Erika graduated in the Duke class of 2024 with a double major in Marine Science and Conservation and Biology. Her research focuses on the relationships between foundation species and tropical reef fish. Her thesis project brought her to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, where she studied how coexisting foundation species shape fish community and trophic structure. She is broadly interested in marine community ecology and conservation, particularly in relation to fish and other mobile consumers. She plans to pursue a career in research that can help further our understanding of marine ecosystems and inform conservation and restoration efforts.