The chance to learn about the world around me and share my experiences with others? Sounds like a dream job to me, and so far my career as a journalist and science writer has been just that.
My heart's always been in the biological sciences because, as Jack Kerouac wrote, "The circumstances of existence are pretty glorious." But my interests have grown as I've discussed the intricacies of superconductivity with Los Alamos physicists, learned about the limitations of wind power from engineers, and discovered how climatology could help avert future food crises - always followed by the challenge of putting my adventures into words.
Please check out the links to my work at the left. My home page also features my most recent articles. Below is a brief snapshot of my education and work history. A more comprehensive resume can be found here. If you're interested in getting in touch with me, my contact information is here.
Education
I graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology and a minor in philosophy from the Ohio State University in 2002, and I recently completed a graduate degree in science writing at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
During my year in the redwoods, I interviewd and wrote about some of the world's top scientific minds during a science-writing internship at the Stanford University News Service. As a general assignment reporter at the Salinas Californian and the Santa Cruz Sentinel, I got a crash course in daily journalism, getting comfortable turning in clean copy under tight deadlines.
Work History
Before I began my writing career, I worked for the Ocean Alliance as an environmental education and science intern aboard Cape Ann Whale Watch in Massachusetts, and later at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and aboard the R/V Odyssey in the Maldives.
From 2004 to 2006, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the West African country of Niger, where I organized the construction of a drinking-water well in the village of Serkin Bougaje and served as a Volunteer Leader for the Maradi region in the eastern part of the country.
After traveling to France, Ecuador, China, and Thailand, I returned to the United States and worked as a research assistant at the Ohio State University Medical Center. There, I helped transplant surgeon Dr. Susan Moffatt-Bruce set up her immunology research laboratory.