I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Civil Environmental and Geo-Engineering at the University of Minnesota. I work in the lab of Dr. Boya Xiong. I have B.A. in Chemistry from Hamilton College.

My work focuses on identifying the degradation products of polymers when they are exposed to environmental elements such as sunlight. Polymers are large molecules, but when they enter the environment, they get smaller through chemical reactions, and therefore more mobile and potentially toxic. I work to understand what polymers, such as plastics, are turning into in environmental conditions. 

Our current society is dependent on polymers, but we do not have a full picture of the effect of them on ecosystem or human health. My research helps bridge that gap and inform the design of sustainable polymers. 

I will use this award to help provide key research tools, such as a computer, as I move through my degree. 

I want to use my career to tackle identifying and tracking the transformations of pollutants in the environment in the pursuit of setting the best possible regulatory practices to the release of these pollutants. 

In my free time I enjoy doing various crafts, reading, and getting outside. I have one cat, Ginny, and occasionally I will foster cats from local rescues until they get adopted.