What in your life drew you to your current field of study?
Growing up in Iowa, I didn't have much interaction with the ocean. After a few trips to the Outer Banks (NC) during my high school years, I was intrigued by the ocean and the organisms in it, and decided to pursue a degree in Marine Biology. Only after working in the TAMUG microbiology lab during my undergraduate years did I come to appreciate the smallest inhabitants of the coastal environment: bacteria.
What do you hope your students gain from studying or working with you?
I hope that students will gain an appreciation for microbiology, and find that a combination of field work and laboratory work can be truly fascinating. The subject of microbiology can be applied toward so many different types of careers.
What are you passionate about in your personal life?
The most important things in my personal life are my two daughters, all the dogs (and 1 cat) I've rescued through my adult life, and living a beautiful life along the Gulf of Mexico.
