Currently, I am pursuing my doctoral degree in chemistry at the University of Washington. My research interests are in the use of infrared spectroscopies to probe molecules for structural and dynamical properties. My early and continually growing fondness of photosynthesis coincides greatly with this approach due to the ability of gaining critical information on the dynamics of protein as they participate in photochemical reactions. By joining Munira Khalil's lab at UW, I hope to expand my understanding of infrared spectroscopy methods for probing such photochemical/photophysical/photobiological properties.

I received my Bachelor of Arts in chemistry at Berea College in May of 2009. Oddly, I began as a chemistry major so that I could go on to pharmacy school, and slowly I changed my mind to the current state of physical chemistry. As an undergraduate I was involved in two summer research internships. One at the University of Utah under the guidance of Dr. Valeria Molinero studying thermal physics/chemistry in the summer of 2008. During the summer of 2007, I was a member of the CEMS undergraduate research program in the Chemistry Department at Stony Brook University studying physical chemistry under the guidance of Dr. Clare P. Grey (now at University of Cambridge).