As a doctoral student in BioCultural Medical Anthropology, my research focuses on Hemp for Hope. Hemp for Hope seeks to examine hemp as a catalyst for cultural change in the areas of health (medicinally), economics, and the environment (as a bioremediation crop) and compare this cross-culturally and traditionally, adding a historical/archaeological component to my research. My overarching question is concerned with how this ancient crop, which has recently been legalized in the U.S. and across the globe, is being used to create hope in a multitude of cultural areas, across cultural and geographic boundaries, and in various populations. Themes related to this study include sovereignty, resiliency, and poverty. This research follows my master’s thesis, The Resilient Warrior: A Lakota Ethnography in Hemp Economics, which looked at hemp cultivation connected to issues of sovereignty and resiliency among the Oglala Lakota. I received my M.A. in Anthropology (2019) and B.A. degrees in International Studies and Anthropology (1989) from the University of West Florida. Between degrees, I worked with the National Park Service as a Park Ranger and Archaeologist, served in AmeriCorps, held a position as a governor-appointed Alabama State Commissioner with the Office for National and Community Service, and volunteered with 4-H and the University of South Alabama’s Center for Archaeological Studies. At UA, I am concurrently working on my Graduate Museum Studies Certificate, and I am part of the Human Behavioral Ecology Research Group (HBERG), Tide Together, and a UA volunteer for testing hemp through Biological Sciences.