I received my B.S. degree in chemistry from James Madison University, where I participated in undergraduate research focused on materials science. I became passionate about environmental chemistry after participating in a summer field course and shifted her research focus to study environmental toxicology during graduate school. While at University of California Riverside, I investigated the kinetics of photochemical reactions of atmospheric organic pollutants and the resulting product distributions. I then continued my work at UCSD as a post-doctoral researcher, focusing on cloud droplet formation and how it is affected by the composition of atmospheric aerosols. Presently, I am excited to be a part of the extraordinary efforts at GGC to incorporate active learning and research components into the classroom.

My current interests and projects include (asterisks indicate undergraduate research student participation):

1. *Single particle characterization of marine aerosols using atomic force microscopy
2. *Gas-phase passive air sampling of PAHs in the Atlanta metropolitan region
3. *ICP-MS analysis of biodiesel for heavy metal content
4. Development and assessment of course-embedded undergraduate research experiences for analytical chemistry students