I’ve known since undergrad that I wanted to work in science policy after graduate school, but Rutgers has provided plentiful opportunities to gain experience while still a student. This past summer I served in the Rutgers Advocacy Corps , working with Rutgers lobbyists to advocate for higher education funding. I was in the 2021 spring cohort of NSPN’s SciPol Scholars Program, and am in the process of arranging a residency to follow the boot-camp experience. I am currently an Eagleton graduate fellow, and through this program will be interning in the Office of Legislative Services of the NJ Legislature in the spring of 2022.
I became involved in SPAR through their science communication workshops and the spring 2019 trip to Washington D.C.. Since that time, I have served as communications director, and now co-president of the New Brunswick group. Last winter, I lead a team of SPAR members to write and publish a policy-memo on oyster farming and reef restoration, which you can find in the Journal of Science Policy & Governance, special issue on climate change.
I am a 4th year PhD student studying interactions between the oyster immune system and its microbiome. I love to talk about food, especially microbial foods like yogurt and sourdough, and use food as a vehicle for engaging people in environmental topics!