I am a first year Master’s student at Virginia Tech, pursuing a M.S. in Biological Systems Engineering. I am passionate about helping people have accessibility to clean drinking water and doing research in water quality. I recently graduated from Virginia Tech with my B.S. in Environmental Science, and Minor in Wetland Science. For the past year, I was a research assistant in Dr. Cayelan Carey’s lab in Virginia Tech’s Biology Department where I studied phytoplankton dynamics and water quality. I interned with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Carey lab last summer, where I completed a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in Water Sciences and Engineering. For this internship, I studied the drivers of phytoplankton distribution and water quality in drinking water reservoirs. I helped the Western Virginia Water Authority make decisions on water quality, and ensured that they delivered safe water to their customers. This REU program sparked my interest in going to graduate school and doing research. I have also interned with the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD) in Fairfax, VA, where I helped run a watershed-friendly garden tour, wrote an article about drinking water and its sources in Northern Virginia for the quarterly newsletter (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/newsletter/drinkingwater.htm), and updated their website.

For fun, I enjoy hiking, fishing and being outdoors. I have started competing in bow tournaments and cannot wait to start hunting this fall. I am from Alexandria, VA and currently live in Blacksburg, VA.