Nikole Tamayo, M.S.

I am a Ph.D. student in Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where my research focuses on Chemical Education Research (CER), which involves improving teaching methods for General Chemistry courses. In addition to being a lab instructor and private tutor for high school and undergraduate students in General Chemistry, I also work as an educator in this field.

Growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada, I didn't have a clear idea of what career path I wanted to pursue. Initially, I applied to universities as a math major due to my confidence in the subject and later considered pre-pharmacy programs. After attending Southern Oregon University for my bachelor's degree, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, ACS-certified in Biochemistry with a minor in Biology.

During my time at SOU, I struggled with chemistry but had the help of an insightful tutor who inspired me to give back and teach others. This led me to pursue a Ph.D. in Chemistry at UC Davis. However, after three years, I realized that my passion was not in traditional research but rather interacting with students and teaching chemistry.

I left UC Davis and worked as a library assistant at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, where I missed the world of chemistry. Eventually, I moved to the University of Central Arkansas to work as a chemistry lab manager. During my time there, I mentored undergraduate students, taught general chemistry and biochemistry labs, and prepared materials for lower-level teaching courses in chemistry.

One professor at UCA introduced me to Chemical Education Research (CER), an area of study that I was not aware existed. This inspired me to apply for graduate school once more with the intention of pursuing CER at UWM. Now, my research focuses on understanding how students learn General Chemistry and finding ways to improve teaching methods in this subject.