Ph.D. Chemistry Education, University of Iowa, 2019
M.S. in Organic Chemistry, University of Rochester, 2013
B.A. in Chemistry, Lake Forest College, 2011

When I was a college student, organic chemistry was my favorite course. I figured that if this notoriously challenging class was actually enjoyable for me, then maybe I should pursue a career in chemistry. Eventually I worked as a TA and discovered that I really enjoyed helping other people learn, so I ultimately decided to combine my passions into one career: teaching chemistry.

After finishing a master’s in organic synthesis, my PhD research was focused on chemistry education: the study of how students learn and the best ways to teach them. Specifically, my work was on creating rubrics to help students develop transferrable skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork. These are the skills that everyone needs and apply to many situations, but they’re often challenging to directly measure. My work ultimately resulted in the creation of rubrics to measure these skills in all STEM college courses.

I grew up in St. Louis, but I didn’t live in Missouri between finishing high school and working here at Mizzou. Now, I’m happy to be back near family who live in St. Louis and Jefferson City. Outside of work, my hobbies include cooking, lifting weights, playing card games, and hanging out with my cat, Lupin.