Research Experience
2025- present, Texas State University, San Marcos, Tx
Position: Master’s student in Dr. Lauren Fuess's Symbiommunity Laboratory
2022 - 2025, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Position: Undergraduate Research Assistant in Dr. Jose M. Eirin-Lopez’s Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory
In the EELab I prepared samples for various treatments, including DNA and RNA extractions, flow cytometry, Qubit, nanodrop, protein analysis, and biomass analysis. I created plans for how to manage my time and efficiently process samples. I entered data which I later used R to analyze. Using statistical analysis, I drew conclusions about the data.
2023, University of Miami, Miami, FL
Position: Undergraduate Research Assistant as an associate of the lab of Dr. Jose M. Eirin-Lopez
I helped a graduate student photograph 1,200 living corals. I also helped her by entering data describing the order of the coral’s photography. This data was used to measure growth rates in the coral.
2024, Undergraduate Research Conference at FIU, Miami, FL
Presented my research in the form of a poster.
2024, 52nd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Charleston, SC
Presented my research in the form of a poster.
2024, Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, Miami, FL
Proposed research and designed a plan to conduct proposed research.
Attended work shops designed to increase reading speed and comprehension, boost resilience in the face of stress, and increase my skills as a scientific writer.
2024, BIOS Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
Created a repeat heat stress experiment to assess the effectiveness of artificial upwelling on stress hardening corals. Furthermore, assessed whether artificial upwelling was able to mitigate bleaching by comparing data from an experiment in 2023 to data I collected on the corals after a year recovering in situ.
Teaching and Outreach
2025, Washington D.C. FIU SAS Fly-In
Position: Advocate
I flew in with a group of first generation, low-income students and attended workshops and seminars in Washington D.C. Then I advocated at Congress for continued and increased funding of Federal Trio Programs.
2024, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science, Saint Georges, Bermuda
Position: Educator
I designed two 30 minute workshops to teach local Bermudian college students. One to teach what chlorophyll fluorescence is, how it is measured, and how this data can be used to assess the health of the coral holobiont. The second workshop taught the history of pipettes and how to properly pipette.
2022 - 2023, Children’s Science Explorium, Boca Raton, FL
Position: Science Presenter
While I was employed at the Children's Science Explorium, I was tasked with creating lesson plans that would engage children ages 5-12 in science. I created these lessons on topics of a wide range, including chemistry, biology, physics, and zoology. I was a counselor in charge of summer classes that generally had 15-20 children. I also helped patrons in the museum understand and interact with the exhibits.
2011 - 2012, Shark Whisperer Organization, Coconut Creek, FL
Position: Volunteer
During my time as a volunteer for this charity, I taught ocean conservation to students at k-12 schools. I also taught lessons at ocean conservation themed parties. I attended meetings with conservationists in the local community to discuss legislation and policy changes we hoped to push the Florida government to enact, such as banning the capture and taking of certain shark species. I also produced art that was sold at auction to be donated to various organizations that promoted ocean conservation. I also participated in reef clean ups as a volunteer.
