It has been quite the journey!
I have never taken a direct path (which is hilarious given I also have no sense of direction) in my career goals. When I was little, I wanted to be a veterinarian, a common aspiration among first generation students who also love animals. When I headed to college I first enrolled in Animal Science at K-State but couldn't stand the site of blood and quickly changed majors, enrolling in Wildlife Conservation and Management. I had decided that I could be a ranger! What would be more fun that riding horseback through the national parks all day and being immersed in wildlife? But, as it often does, life took a different turn when one of my professors, Dr. Eva Horne, mentioned a research opportunity to me. I had no idea what research even was, but I really liked the sound of the $15,000 a year stipend, so I applied. It was there, under the mentorship of Dr. Jeremy Marshall, I gained a passion for research that drove me to where I am today.
Since then I have continued to meander. I completed a Masters in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology where I studied the sperm protein of Monarch Butterflies with Dr. Jamie Walters at the University of Kansas. During my Masters I also found my love of science education, as I joined the other amazing graduate students in the department on so many outreach opportunities. After my Masters, things got a little bumpy as I started and stopped a PhD in Venomics, started and stopped a PhD in science education, and finally took some time off. I pursued various government roles, and then found myself back in academia in the Computer Science Department at the University of Rhode Island (I couldn't stay away). Eventually, a former mentor of mine, Dr. Annemarie Vaccaro, convinced me to come back to get a PhD in Education at the URI. I agreed as long as she agreed to be my PI (which she did!). It was also at URI that I met, and continue to collaborate with, one of my favorite humans, Dr. Bryan Dewsbury. Without his guidance, support, and willingness to partner with me across so many projects, I would not be where I am today.
After graduation I moved to the West Coast to start an amazing Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology Education under the mentorship of Dr. Jeremy Hsu. Here I was able to continue my own lines of research as well as collaborate on many new projects. In the past two years, I have built new collaborations with colleagues across North America and am so excited to finally step into my role as an Assistant Professor in Biology at Santa Clara University. I can't wait to work with undergraduate students to find/develop their passions for research and teach Biology courses infused with social contexts and inclusive teaching strategies. Here's to the next chapter!
