Bio

Academic:

I am currently attending Phoenix College as a S-STEM/TRAIN scholar and will transfer to Arizona State University to pursue a degree in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Biology.  I want to build a firm tool building, analytical, and modeling foundation within mathematics and computing and apply those skillsets performing research at the intersection of physics, chemistry, and biology.  I am particularly drawn to self-assembly systems that accomplish complex functions or arrangements with decentralized control.  

My long term goals also include teaching and science communication as I see both as equally consequential and valuable as research.  What I find most appealing about the scientific endeavor is its inexhaustible richness of spaces for exploration and the continual curiosity this stimulates.  I see the encouragement of the next generation of scientists as part of my responsibility in this career.

As I am early in my science education I am unsure of the exact niche I will end up in my career.  As mentioned above, I am fascinated by the work at the intersection of physics, biology, and chemistry.  I am interested in basic research as well as how this research is communicated to create applied knowledge to solve tangible problems in the world. My career goals are not focused around any particular position or job, but rather I wish to find an environment where there is an encouragement to not only seek out answers to long standing questions but to explore questions yet unasked.  I am seeking out places and people that promote and embrace the type of curiosity and risk taking I am looking for in my career and life.

Personal:

I am returning to school after almost a decade after completing B.A.s in Applied Ethics and Religious Studies at Arizona State University.  While I was able to achieve a college education, I had always been fascinated but intimidated by the maths and sciences, always thinking they were "not for me."  It was through self-study and the much appreciated work of science communicators (books, blogs, podcasts, etc.) that my passion and interests in science grew.  This growth in knowledge was always tempered by a feeling of not being competent enough to achieve an understanding beyond that of a popular level.

While studying to become a massage therapist in the Spring of 2019, my Anatomy and Physiology Profs. Chapman, Kirkland, and Manning, through their own enthusiasm, knowledge, and charm, helped to give me the confidence that I could perform at a collegiate level in the sciences.  I thank them greatly for entertaining my many questions and hours of discussion outside of class times.  I would not be in this position without them. 

Due to my unusual path to this program, I hope to utilize the skills I have learned outside of the scientific community to serve as a translator, communicator, and bridge for disseminating scientific knowledge to everyone and anyone.  As such, I have joined the STEAM club and have a commitment, including but not limited to this blog, to articulate and share the work I participate in and help other scientists do the same.

Outside of the academic arena I practice and have interest in animal and plant agriculture, table top games, reading, physical fitness, and music (listening and playing).