Class Year

11

Current Hometown:

Bar Harbor, ME

Job and Employer

Assay Development Technologist, The Jackson Laboratory

Work:

I design and validate molecular assays to genotype mutant and transgene strains of mice. My daily work requires a lot of multitasking, with functions such as analyzing research papers to design primers, interacting with various laboratories to coordinate projects, and performing quality control of nearly 20,000 genotyping tests a week. I love the challenge of critically assessing data each day, and collaborating with fellow members of my department to generate timely and accurate results in a very high-throughput lab. I am proud to work for scientific services, which supports all of the research the laboratory does to advance human health. Our scientific innovations and breakthroughs continue to inspire me.

Community work & family

I am currently in the process of buying my first home,  which is a real fixer-upper! Home renovations and gardening are my weekend priorities, and I also enjoy antiquing with my partner.

Senior project:

Mapping Cetacean Distribution and Abundance in the Gulf of California

Internship:

Field Assistant, Sperm Whale Behavioral Study in Kaikoura, New Zealand

Human ecology in action:

My biggest takeaways from human ecology are critical thinking and pragmatism. I am able to collaborate with people with differing viewpoints, while analyzing and filtering through conflicting information, in order to create effective solutions in my personal relationships and career. The integration of complex issues to create productive change is core to human ecology, and it works in the real world. 

A COA experience that was particularly significant or memorable:

The Newfoundland course was an amazing experience. Traveling across Newfoundland and Labrador for 2 weeks with 3 professors and 10 fellow students, meeting locals and seeing wildlife, was a life changing experience. I highly recommend the course- it is a perfect microcosm of human ecology. Plus, I got to swim with icebergs, how cool is that (no pun intended)? 

Considerations for prospective students:

What comes to mind is the slogan of the television show Big Brother: “expect the unexpected.” One of the best aspects of COA is its adaptability, both academic and personal, and the path that you embark on is yours to carve out (with plenty of help, of course). Almost none of my peers graduated focusing on what they “came” to COA to study, including myself. If you’re curious about the world, and don’t want to take a passive approach to education, then I think COA is a great place to develop.