A bit about me...
So what is there to know about me?
For starters, I was raised near Dallas, TX for most of my childhood. Both of my parents worked for IBM, so I grew up in a very engineering-oriented family who were incredibly keen on my education. I developed an interest in science at a very early age, with strong interests in both medicine and natural phenomena that affect people's lives. I've always been a very active person, participating in different sports, dance, and girl scouts, and numerous different organizations through pretty much all of my K-12 years! I continue those interests today, currently being active in the ballroom dance community and the department's outreach program, to name a couple of things.
I graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, although I had initially gone in for a degree in biochemistry with intentions of pursuing a medical degree. Those intentions changed when I joined the 2001 UofM Solar Car Team as a member of the weather team, then switching to operations to become the head of logistics. After winning the American race and placing third in the world, it's hard to say that it wasn't a life-changing experience...6 years later people still get to hear about it ;-). And to think, one of the big reasons we won was due to a timely weather decision!
The biggest shift in my career intentions occured during two field experiments I got to participate in. The first was the 2003 Bow Echo and MCV Experiment (BAMEX), an opportunity provided to me through the SOARS internship program through the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO. It was experiencing my studies in real life that made me realize how much more I wanted to learn, and that summer I decided to pursue a graduate degree. I had to hurry though, because the 2003-2004 school year was my last one! I did my research on the different schools, applied and (to my great surprise!) got accepted to two top schools. After much debate I settled on the University of Washington, where I've been for the past three years, coming in with no intention of pursuing a PhD. This all changed in 2005 when I participated in my second field experiment, the 2005 Hurricane Rainband and Intensity Change Experiment (RAINEX) field campaign. Getting the opportunity to fly in hurricanes Katrina and Rita was one of the most exciting and wrenching experiences in my life...it was after this experiment that I decided to pursue my PhD.
Thanks to the support of my friends, family, my boyfriend Paul, and our adorable cat Snow, I'm keeping busy between my research, dance, and spending time with the folks I love! I'm truly blessed to have had so many diverse experiences in life, and I can't wait for more to come!
