DIY creative, noise musician, synthetic biologist, #1 fan of the color green

long before I knew what extremophiles were, I was one in my own right. as a transgender kid growing up in rural Appalachia, I learned to adapt, persist, and grow where others did not expect life to flourish.

from a young age I have always been fascinated by the power of the ocean to create lasting change. despite the challenges of our changing world, I remain an optimist, driven by a desire to help build a better future. I’ve carried this to my personal life as I hope to leave a legacy of hope and transform my experience into the “better.” this shows both in my work as a scientist, and in my work as a creative.

my professional background spans marine microbiology, synthetic biology, and extremophile biotechnology, with experience across academic, federal, and startup sectors. my work has focused on translating nature’s solutions into sustainable technologies, from cell-free biofuel systems to engineered microbial consortia for mining. I’m passionate about advancing scalable biomanufacturing and building a more sustainable future through translational science.

I have played the saxophone for over 20 years now, and find myself at the point in my creative journey where I seek to deconstruct what i’ve learned. I have a few projects in mind to pursue this destruction.

though I have spent a considerable amount of time learning embroidery and hand-stitching in my adolescence, handweaving has opened many doors into my pursuit of textile and fashion design. I hope to share some of my projects here, both original designs and completed patterns. I look forward to tracking my progress over time.

I hope to use this site as a “working resume” to share for networking of all regards, and a diary to follow my creative pursuits.