I am a graduate student at University of Virginia's Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy working towards a Master of Public Policy (expected May 2014). This spring, I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Astronomy/Physics from U.Va. During my undergraduate career, I worked on a wide range of research projects ranging from exoplanets to efficient target selection techniques. I presented my research at several conferences, including the American Astronomical Society 221st Meeting and Virginia Academy of Sciences May Meeting. I am also collaborating with a U.Va. astronomy professor on an introductory cosmology textbook. Finally, I have been a teaching assistant for introductory physics courses.

Through all of my experiences, I have become particularly interested in communicating and teaching science effectively, and my current policy interest is in science education. I aim to gain more experience in the field this summer with my internship at the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT)!