About Me

I have always been deeply committed to education and have long held knowledge and learning in the highest regard. My passion for the life sciences and a desire to help others led me to attain certified nursing assistant and first responder licenses with the intent of pursuing a career in the medical field. During that time my interests turned to research and molecular biology. I chose to pursue, and subsequently earned, an undergraduate degree in neuroscience as a way to incorporate my interest in human health with my desire for molecular-level understanding.
 
Upon realizing the extent to which the natural world has yet to be understood, I was inspired to continue on to graduate studies in microbiology and immunology. I greatly enjoyed the theoretical and informational components of laboratory research. One the aspects of scientific research I found particularly gratifying was learning new technical skills, particularly when it was possible to learn both the theory and practice of a technique. I also received great fulfillment from conducting literature-based research and then synthesizing that information into reviews, handouts, and slides for effective written and oral presentation. Unfortunately, the areas I found most interesting required a level of animal subjects use which I was not able to perform with a clear conscience. I chose instead to pursue a career path in which I could make use of my interest in information acquisition, organization, and application.
 
I then had the pleasure of working in a multi-faceted role at a rapidly growing technology company. In this position I had several occasions to practice and refine the coordination and organizational skills that I have long considered to be among my strengths. I learned many new skills, and worked with a variety of resources and software programs. Utilizing my existing knowledge of research design and analysis, I assisted in human-computer interaction studies. In addition, I spearheaded the overhaul of the reference library used by the research staff, for which I drew on my existing knowledge of reference tools and databases such as EndNote, Ovid, and the ACM Portal. I helped establish and maintain the company intranet, which allowed me to gain additional experience with user interfaces and the organization of digital information. These experiences reinforced for me that information architecture and management play very important roles within an organization, and how employees and clients can benefit from effective support of their information needs.
 
Currently, I am employed at Transition Projects, Inc. as the Data & Technology Specialist, creating and conducting reports for shelter and housing assistance programs, while simultaneously working to improve data quality within the associated information system as well as providing general technical support within the organization. I am also pursuing a master's degree in library and information science in order to acquire specialized skills, which I hope to apply in an academic, corporate, or research library setting.