Early Life
I grew up in Troy, MI (suburb of Detroit), with two amazing parents (John and Sharon) and two older sisters (Jenny and Kathryn). I attended Brother Rice High School, and it is there where I first fell in love with Chemistry. While in high school, I ran Cross-Country and Track, while also participating in Model United Nations, Student Senate, and the Marian-Rice Players. I graduated in 2008 as Salutatorian of my class and a National Merit Scholar. Although I haven't lived in Michigan in over 10 years, I will always be a Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings fan, and I never turn down a chance to visit home, see my nieces (Char, Maddy, Abby, and Kennedy), and relax on the beautiful Michigan lakes.
University of Notre Dame
Although growing up as a fan of Michigan football, I quickly changed allegiances and became an avid Notre Dame fan. As a member of Stanford Hall, I had the opportunity to live with my best friends (Danny, Brett, Barry, Corey, Lin, Hal, and Nick) in what was known as the "Super-6 Man." While at Notre Dame, I quickly immersed myself into a variety of clubs and service opportunities (FIDES, Campus Ministry, Juvenile Tutoring, SSLP, AIChE, SBFPC, Frosh-O). I also started to develop my love for teaching while tutoring Calculus I/II and Chemistry on campus. I also had the great opportunity to research for Dr. Joan Brennecke, investigating the isothermal compressibility of ionic liquids. In 2012, I graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and had to say goodbye to my "home under the dome."
Washington, D.C.
I moved to Washington, D.C., upon graduation from Notre Dame to start my first full-time job with ExxonMobil. While there, I worked as a Supply Logistics Coordinator for their domestic refineries and West African equity terminals. While at ExxonMobil, I made life-long friends (Eric, Alyssa, and Dianna) as a Chair of the Employee Club and as the Downstream Lead of the Intern Program. I was lucky enough to have my ND "family" (Justin, Lauren, and Hilary) in DC. We would go to game watches together, roadtrip across the country to see Notre Dame play, and have regular family dinners together. I was also involved with St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, teaching Sunday school and participating in a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, where we installed flooring and roofing for homes. Some of my favorite memories from DC come from all the sports teams that I participated on: weekly volleyball and softball with ExxonMobil, kickball with St. Charles friends, and most notably "Bookstore" basketball with Lauren and Hilary (where we won best costume).
In 2015, I had to say goodbye to DC and the amazing friends that I had made to begin the next chapter of my life: Graduate School at The University of Texas at Austin.
Austin, TX
In 2015, I made the move to Austin, TX, otherwise known as "the live music capital of the world," to begin my Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. I quickly took in the local culture, visiting as many taco and BBQ joints as possible, while also attending as many live concerts as I could. After passing 3 grueling qualifying exams, I joined the Keitz lab, studying the effects of exogenous materials on amyloid aggregation. As most grad students can attest, most days are spent in lab and the classroom. While in grad school, I had the opportunity to TA multiple classes and obtain my Graduate Certificate in Engineering Education, which only grew my love for teaching.
Ann Arbor, MI
In 2021, after receiving my Ph.D, I moved back to my home state of Michigan as a postdoctoral researcher under the supervision of Dr. Peter Tessier. In the Tessier lab, I am working to engineer bispecific antibodies capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. I've been lucky enough to secure funding for my projects through a T32 Neurology grant and F32 Postdoctoral grant from the NIH. I currently reside in Michigan, where I play recreational volleyball and enjoy summers on the lakes.
Hobbies
Movies: I am an avid movie fan and try to get to the theater as often as I can. I particularly enjoy Oscar season, where I ensure that I see all Oscar nominees prior to the Academy Awards.
Theater: In 2018, I purchased season tickets to "Broadway in Austin," with my labmate Angela. We had the opportunity to see Fiddler on the Roof, Cats, Anastasia, Hamilton, and many others. Some of my favorite plays include Rent, Chicago, Hamilton, Spring Awakening, and Phantom of the Opera.
Aerial Silks: While in Austin, on the suggestion of fellow grad student Alysha, I decided to take an Aerial Silks class at a local circus studio. I quickly found myself signed up for regular lessons and started to branch out to other apparatuses including Rope and Lyra. It's good to know that running away with the circus is always an option!
Running: Cross-country and Track cultivated a love for running when I was in high school. I continued to run in college, participating in the Holy Half Marathon at Notre Dame. I also participated in the Marine Corps Marathon and Tough Mudder while in DC. I continue to try to run in my free time when it's not 100 degrees in Austin!
Hiking: I love to hike and immerse myself in nature. Some of my favorite parks that I have visited recently include Big Bend National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, and Shenandoah National Park.