Helping students learn
and love chemistry.

I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, without a clear idea of what I wanted to do. I first applied to universities as a math major (the subject I felt most confident in) and later considered pre-pharmacy.

I earned my Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at Southern Oregon University, ACS-certified in Biochemistry with a minor in Biology. I struggled with chemistry at SOU, but an insightful tutor changed everything: their help inspired me to give back and teach others.

That pull toward teaching led me to a Ph.D. in Chemistry at UC Davis. After three years, I realized my passion wasn't in traditional research; it was in interacting with students and teaching chemistry. So I left with a M.S. in Chemistry, and spent time as a library assistant at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where I quickly missed the world of chemistry.

I moved to the University of Central Arkansas as a chemistry lab manager. There I mentored undergraduates, taught General Chemistry and Biochemistry labs, and prepared materials for lower-level chemistry courses. A professor at UCA introduced me to Chemical Education Research, a field I hadn't known existed.

That discovery inspired me to apply to graduate school once more, this time with purpose. Now, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, my research focuses on understanding how students learn General Chemistry and finding better ways to teach it.