About
I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada and attended the University of Nevada, Reno for my undergraduate degree. I chose to study environmental engineering because of an interest in protecting the environment, and specifically, our water resources. I switched from environmental to chemical/mechanical engineering in graduate school because I wanted to expand the types of problems/research I could work on. However, my passion remains with water and environmental projects. I am also very interested in space, microgravity, science communications, and STEM education across all grade levels.
In my off-time, I like to hike, read, and travel. My husband and I recently adopted a bernedoodle puppy who we named Bernoulli.
Education
2015 - 2019 Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2013 - 2015 M.S. Chemical Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
2009 - 2013 B.S. Environmental Engineering
University of Nevada, Reno
Experience
2020 - Present Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Princeton University
Spring 2020 Lecturer
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Course 3.044, Materials Processing
Fall 2019 Teaching Assistant
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Course 2.005, Thermal Fluids Engineering I
2015 - 2019 Research Assistant
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Control of crystallization using engineered substrates
2018 Desalination Consultant
Ionic Materials
2013 - 2015 Research Assistant
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Influence of flow and interfaces on amyloid fibrillization
Summer 2013 Research Assistant
Universität Leuphana Lüneburg (Germany)
Evaluation of exothermic salts for thermal batteries
2011 - 2013 Research Assistant
University of Nevada, Reno
Sorption of hormonal pollutants to humic acids
Grants & Awards
2022 - Mistletoe Research Fellowship
2020 - Princeton Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship
2019 - ASGSR Orr Reynolds Service Award
2019 - APS Gallery of Fluid Motion Milton von Dyke Award
2019 - MIT Meredith Kamm Memorial Award
2018 - Martin Sustainability Fellowship
2015 - NSF GRFP
2014 - ASGSR Travel Award
2013 - Rensselaer Graduate Fellowship
2013 - Tau Beta Pi Fellowship (Deuchler no. 33)
2013 - ASCE Water Research Competition 2nd place
2012 - ASCE College of Engineering Outstanding Service
2011 - NSF EPSCoR grant
Service
2022 + ACS Div. of Env. Chem. Member at Large
2017 - 2022 Judge for Stockholm Junior Water Prize
2017 - 2018 MIT Water Club Vice President
2016 - 2018 ASGSR Student President
2014 - 2016 ASGSR Student Officer
2014 - 2016 RPI Engineers for a Sustainable World
2012 - 2013 UNR ASCE Secretary
2011 - 2013 UNR Water Treatment Team Captain
Skills
🇩🇪 Advanced German
✈️ Experiments in microgravity on a parabolic flight
🖥️ MatLab and Wolfram
🔬 AFM, SEM, Optical Microscopy
☢️ Clean room fabrication
⚗️ XPS, XRD, LCMS, GCMS, CD, TGA
This video was taken during the 2017 MIT Water Summit of a panel titled "The Path Forward," where I served as the panel moderator. The topic of the panel was future directions for solving critical challenges related to water and food production.