After graduating high school, I began university in 2003, majoring in biology and psychology. My goal at the time was to work in conservation, ecology, and organismal biology. At the same time as I was attending university, the field was continuing its transition into more a molecular focus. While I am fascinated by molecular biology, that wasn’t what I was passionate about. After a few years, I decided to leave university without a degree.
I then spent several years in the “real world,” moving from NC to CA and back again.
My daughter was born in 2010. I promised her that I would go back to school and complete my bachelor’s degree. I had taken a couple of courses in anthropology and was excited by the fact that doing anthropology allowed me to engage in all of my interests: biology, conservation, ecology, and how humans fit in the world.
I decided to go back to university to study anthropology and while there, added philosophy as a second major after being encouraged by my best friend and our philosophy professor.
I was accepted into several master’s programs in various fields: anthropology, sexuality studies, anthrozoology, and visual anthropology. I chose UNC-Charlotte for the opportunity to work with Dr. Jon Marks. I completed thesis research in social behavior of introduced rhesus macaques in central Florida.
After completing my master’s degree, I stayed at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte as a lecturer for a couple of years. I loved teaching there!
I was accepted into the University of Arizona and the University of Texas at San Antonio. I chose to attend UTSA. My goal was to complete my PhD and earn a tenure-track position by the time I turned 40. As I’ve written at length on my website, on the last day of class, a former student entered the room and opened fire, killing two students and severely injuring four others.
This experience left me reevaluating my future in academia. With the support of my wonderful partner, colleagues, family, and friends, I decided to carry on. My passion for teaching and the meaning my life gets from being a scholar outweighed the trauma.
After nearly six years, I am pleased to say that I’ve accepted a faculty appointment at the University of Texas at Arlington in environment and sustainability, housed in the Department Sociology and Anthropology.
I’m honored to have been selected to join the department alongside brilliant and kind scholars. I’m incredibly excited to get to know the students at UTA and support their intellectual growth.
I hit my goal; I will turn 40 later this year. Here’s to next steps!
