I’m fascinated by many scientific topics, from the smallest quarks to the universe itself. I want to understand how it all works and how human beings fit in. For the last twenty years or so I’ve been lucky enough to participate in a variety of atmospheric science research. This is a wonderful intersection of pure science and helping humanity.

As a girl I loved reading and my dad introduced me to science fiction. I became a scientist because of the influences of C.S. Lewis, Ursula K. Le Guin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Isaac Asimov and other authors. I found math and science to be fairly challenging in high school and college. What kept me going was the encouragement of my parents, stubbornness and a strong desire to understand the world. A lot of hard work led to success. Graduate school was phenomenal; my curiosity was matched by opportunity. I got to study all kinds of things like quarks and galaxies in research assistantships and a Department of Energy Traineeship. Since I graduated I’ve studied many fun things including extrasolar planets, ice particles in clouds, climate change, and Earth’s oceans and storms. During my journey I’ve learned all kinds of mathematics and computer skills which can be applied to any aspect of science.