I am a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee, having obtained a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology with a focus on plant physiology and a minor in chemistry. I followed a rigorous course of study, often taking graduate-level courses or upper division courses in the social sciences in addition to the courses required by my major program and honors program.

I have been involved in research since senior year of highshool at East Tennessee State University in the Department of Environmental Health, where I collected water samples from local streams, rivers, and lakes and analyzed them for quality and potential pollution. My undergraduate thesis (manuscript in process) is titled “Assessment of extracellular enzymes produced by fungi isolated from muscadine grapes” and was overseen by Dr. Robert N Trigiano at the University of Tennessee in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology.

My career interests are mainly the research of enzymes, particularly the application of enzymes produced by plants and plant pathogens to human needs. On a broader scale, I am interested in the wealth of information and untapped potential provided by plants and their pathogens, and am looking forward to exploring what they have to offer to the health and overall well-being of humanity. I am currently interested in finding an efficient solution to the obstacles posed in the process of producing fuel from plant sources.

Aside from that, I have a lot of different interests and skills! I am a bookworm, an organization nerd, conversationally fluent in German, a crafter/artist of a sort, an avid learner of all things, and hopefully one day a world traveler!