About Me

I grew up in Benton City, WA. I enjoy spending time with my family, hiking, and doing Tough Mudder events. Growing up I was a student athlete playing football and wrestling, performing in a concert band, and competing on a math and science team. I attended Central Washington University where I earned my BS and MS in Biology with an emphasis on wildlife biology and herpetology. I then worked in clinical trial cancer research before starting my career as an ecological risk assessor.

What Inspired You to Explore STEM?

I always loved animals and the world around me. I remember the big “Eureka” moment for me was in middle school when I took my first biology class. I fell in love with the idea of spending my life learning about the world and how things work, the interconnections between different objects and beings in the environment.

Briefly share what you do as part of your job

I use various software (ArcGIS Pro, ProUCL, Python, R, RESRAD) in order to make sure that cleanup operations are safe for both people and the environment. I work with a variety of clients from many sectors including mining, water resources, and nuclear operations.

What Do You Enjoy Most About Your STEM Career?

Problem solving! We often face many different problems that require unique solutions or a lot of critical thinking to solve. Working for a consulting company and supporting a lot of different industries, keeps things exciting and new. Depending on the project, you get to see direct impacts of the work you are doing.

What is a STEM fact about your field?

Ecological risk assessment helps us understand how human activities can affect nature.

Additional Resources

https://www.epa.gov/risk
https://www.intera.com/services/environmental/human-health-and-ecological-risk-assessment/