Work with thought leaders and academic experts from North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

Biology Professor / August, 2022 — Present

• Develop and conduct high-level molecular genetics, cellular & molecular biology, and evolution courses for high school juniors and seniors. • Prepare and teach molecular biology labs (i.e., gel electrophoresis, cloning, and transformations). • Utilize and teach microbiology techniques (i.e., aseptic techniques, culturing, selective plating). • Lead data science projects using R/RStudio for several simultaneous projects. • Participate in professional development 12 hours annually including Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity training and online tools training (such as Canvas, Canva, and Lucid). • Participate in the hiring committee for the Biology Department.

Environmental Microbiologist & Lab Manager / November, 2021 — August, 2022

• Investigated presence of aquatic, bacterial and viral emerging pathogens. • Utilized DNA extraction and qPCR to process samples for identification of emerging pathogens. • Managed laboratory (oversaw lab activity and collaborations, mentorship, orders, general maintenance).

Postdoctoral Researcher & Lab Manager / August, 2020 — March, 2021

• Investigated the response of the coral microbiome under favorable and extreme environments. • Utilized DNA extraction, purification, PCR (16S rDNA), normalization/pooling, and amplicon sequencing. • Analyzed genomic data using R/RStudio and including the following packages: DADA2, phyloseq, vegan, RVAideMemoire, DESeq2, dplyr, ggplot2, rmarkdown. • Involved in increasing diversity by increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in biology. • Managed laboratory (i.e., lead lab meetings, set up lab virtually, general maintenance, mentorship).

Doctor of Philosophy Candidate / August, 2015 — August, 2020

• Earned 8 research grants and scholarships (totaling more than $34,000 in research funds). • Investigated impacts of Saharan dust nutrient influx on water- and coral-associated microbiomes. • Described microbiome signatures of disease in coral during a multi-species, multi-disease outbreak in FL. • Studied the potential of Vibrio species to bloom and pose a threat to human health in recreational waters. • Investigated microbiome interactions (i.e., competitive exclusion) in poultry litter and published results. • Studied the effect of wastewater effluent on Vibrio sp. and an estuarine microbiome. • Utilize and teach microbiology techniques (i.e., aseptic techniques, culturing, selective plating). • Utilized DNA extraction, purification, gel electrophoresis, PCR (16S rDNA), normalization/pooling, and amplicon sequencing. • Analyzed genomic data using R/RStudio (i.e., packages DADA2, phyloseq, vegan, RVAideMemoire, DESeq2, dplyr, ggplot2, rmarkdown).

Laboratory Technician Assistant / August, 2014 — May, 2015

• Conducted DNA extraction, PCR based genotyping, and gel electrophoresis to confirm genotypes of mice. • Maintained several colonies of experimental mice and collected specimen samples for processing.

Undergraduate Researcher / August, 2013 — July, 2014

• Designed, conducted, and analyzed an experiment to investigate the effect of storage time on Vibrio spp. and fecal indicator bacteria in an autosampler. • Utilized microbiology techniques (i.e., aseptic techniques, culturing, selective plating). • Transformed project into UNC Honors Thesis (received Highest Honors) and published results.