Bio:
After my time as an undergraduate at Drexel where I spent much time proudly helping to unearth one of the world’s largest dinosaurs to ever walk the earth, Dreadnoughtus schrani, in Patagonia, Argentina, I combined my interests to take on fully interdisciplinary PhD project with my PI Dr. Mary H. Schweitzer at North Carolina State University as a molecular paleontologist. I employed field and lab work, ancient lab and modern molecular labs, multiple forms of microscopy, microbiology and protein chemistry (in situ and mass spec) to study modern analogs and fossil material to detect beta-keratinous soft tissues in the fossil record, and provide expertise and data to the highly controversial feather melanosome debate and the ability to determine the color of fossil organisms.
Throughout the majority of this time I also personally made it a mission to ensure I was being the best educator I could be and also took an interdisciplinary approach, most importantly using evidence-based teaching strategies. I sought an opportunity to work with Dr. Jen Stanford of Drexel Biology and the co-director of CASTLE to do a post-doc in STEM education research. During which she nominated me and I appreciatively won a spot in the Top 40 Under 40. I strive everyday to be the best educator I can be in part by incorporating evidence-based teaching strategies and showing compassion to every student, which I am naturally supported to do in my role as the lead instructor for the SEA-PHAGES (SEA Education Alliance – Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary of Science) Program in partnership with the HHMI (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) and the University of Pittsburgh.
As a scientist, it brings me great joy that I don’t think many can say, to have both studied literally one of the biggest living things to ever walk this earth down to among the smallest biological entities on this earth, and many in between.