Community outreach and service

I believe that big change can start small by implementing strategies in your local environment. The beauty of the natural world should not be reserved for a select privileged group who get to peer through the scope.  I have a long-standing dedication to decreasing barriers to educational access and engaging with the community.

I was a multi-year member of the Seminars at Yale Neuroscience: Advanced PoStdoc Extramural Series (SYNAPSES) committee. This program was one of the first of its kind, flipping the typical invited talk being granted to professors only, and extending that opportunity to postdocs near the job-market.

I speak to middle school and highschool students about science through a self-organized “Interview a Neuroscientist” lecture series.

I curated a science themed gallery show to showcase the art and data of scientists across West Virginia University. This public-access, month long exhibit helped bring the wonder of science to the community.

As president of the Biology Graduate Student Association at West Virginia University, I spear-headed a crowd-funded grant mechanism, and worked with the Chair of the department to meet the needs of the graduate student body.