I first became interested in science, growing up in Florida. When I was in middle school, I attended a marine science camp, which introduced kids to local marine life. This experience ignited my interest in STEM. 

Jumping ahead, for my B.S in Chemistry, I attended Georgia Southern University, in the college town of Statesboro, GA. It was here that I was first introduced to scientific research. I completed my Honors thesis under Dr. Ryan Fortenberry, where I simulated molecular anions that could be found in the interstellar medium. I found the research to be out of this world, and I knew I wanted to continue in research. It was here where I also began developing an interest in teaching and science communication. 

I did not go too far for my graduate studies, as I joined the Chemistry Department of Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia. I conducted my PhD thesis work under the care of Dr. Michael Heaven, where I studied chemistry’s littlest rule breaker: beryllium. Apart from research, I took many opportunities to engage in scientific outreach and give back to my supportive department by holding leadership positions in the department’s graduate group.

After a decade in Georgia, I decided to make the hop across the big pond for my postdoctoral position. I am now working at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, in Berlin, Germany. I am an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow, working in the Molecular Physics Department, under Prof. Dr. Gerard Meijer. I manage the anion photoelectron circular dichroism project, where we investigate the chirality of gas phase anions.