I grew up in a small town called Houston, Missouri, surrounded by hills and rivers. I went to the University of Missouri – Columbia for my B.S. in biology. There, I had the privilege of working with Pam Brown and Wanda Figueroa-Cuilan to study cell division in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Inspired by this bacterial research, I went on to earn a PhD in the lab of Dan Kearns at Indiana University. For this, I studied the flagella (tail like structures that bacteria can use to move) of Bacillus subtilis, learning new things about how these structures are built and organized on each cell. Now, as a postdoctoral fellow in Erin Carlson’s lab, I’m primarily focused on studying the penicillin binding proteins of Streptococcus pyogenes. These proteins are essential for building the protective bacterial cell wall and they are the targets of β-lactam antibiotics like (you guessed it!) penicillin. A better understanding of these key proteins may help the chemists in my lab as they are developing alternatives and adjuvants for antibiotics. I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of the support I got from teachers along the way. I love working with students and watching them grow as they learn. I want to pursue a career where I do both research and education. I am also developing my science communication skills as part of a group focused on compassionate science communication, where we connect researchers with the general public. In my personal life, I love all sorts of fiber crafts from sewing to felting. I read books, bake, and snuggle with my cat, Lula. One of my life goals is to visit every national park in the US.
