About

I am a graduate student at University of Maryland, Baltimore County where I study the ultraviolet visual system of mantis shrimp. I am excited by all manners of science and skepticism. In addition I enjoy hiking, fossil hunting, salt water reef-keeping, and I play rugby for a local club.

I have always loved the ocean. When most children wanted to be astronauts and firemen, I already knew I wanted to be marine biologist. When I was very young, the highlight of beach vacations to Cape Cod and New Hampshire was getting my grey, five gallon bucket and collecting as many animals as I could from the rocks and tidepools. Through middle and high school, my interests remained in the sciences, but shifted to molecular and evolutionary biology. I went to undergrad at the University of Delaware and graduated with a BS in biology, and a history minor. Following that, I was undecided about continuing in academia or getting a job in industry. As a compromise I enrolled in an accelerated, one year masters in Applied Molecular Biology at UMBC. For the research portion of this degree I jumped at the opportunity to work on mantis shrimp. Thus, I inadvertently landed in a fortuitous synthesis my intrinsic love of marine biology and my more recent interest in molecules and evolution. After the MS, I transferred to the PhD program, where I currently reside.

On the hunt for mantis shrimp.

I started Arthropoda at the end of 2009 in order to foster my science writing skills as well as to provide a medium for interaction with like minded science enthusiasts. I feel that the appreciation of science should be a social endeavor, and blogging seems to be a powerful medium to that end. I also hope that Arthropoda can appeal to those who have yet to realize how awesome science is. It would be incredible if I can bring new people into the wonderful world of science.