Through my Ph.D. in Science Communication work at Vanderbilt University, I design and produce educational videos supported by STEM Identity Theory and Human-Centered Design. I developed my own research track through the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program supported by professors in Communication of Science, STEM Education, Chemistry, Digital Humanities, and Cinema & Media Arts.

My research is rooted in the work I have done through Phuture Doctors. Phuture Doctors started as a creative outlet for me to share my passion for science outreach and filmmaking, eventually leading to my initiative to bring inclusion to the STEM workforce using representation in media as a conduit.

My passion for teaching stems from being a gymnast and gymnastics coach for almost a decade in my formative years. I have four years of teaching general and organic chemistry at the undergraduate level. Earned my Teaching Certificate from Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching in 2018. I have six years of teaching science to K-12 students through outreach initiatives with the American Chemical Society and Vanderbilt Institute for Nanoscience & Engineering.

I also designed a science communication course in science filmmaking, which I am teaching as an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University. I infuse media industry experience with human-centered design to create an engaging class where students leave with the start of a portfolio for their scicomm aspirations.

I have nine years of scientific training, earning my B.S. and M.Sc. in Chemistry, where I worked on growing nanoparticles in tea and measuring their optical properties with lasers, synthesizing quantum-confined nanoparticles to capture energy from the sun, and generating new catalysts for biodegradable plastic production using mechanical energy.

Through my training, I gained skills in critical thinking and asking the right questions to learn and eventually understand how complex systems work. I also gained experience in writing and communicating technical topics to technical audiences through various mediums and platforms, which enables me to be a bridge between experts and the general public.