I was the quintessential little girl who loved horses. I didn’t want Barbie dolls; I wanted Breyer horse models, riding boots, and every equine book ever written.
When I grew up, I broadened my horsey horizons to become a veterinarian. I was sworn to protect public health and licensed to heal every species except our own. That vast territory of veterinary medicine once felt boundless, to me. Now, the growing conflicts between animals and man threaten the well being of us all. I wanted to help more than one animal at a time.
Journalism, my other lifelong love, was the perfect solution. As a writer, I can hoof it all over the world to tell the stories about the inextricable links between animals, people, and the environment we share. Perhaps those stories just might heal all of us.
Since I started carrying a spiral notebook I have been busy...
Freelance Science Writer, Boston, MA.
Reporting on medicine, conservation, animals and the environment for media outlets that include: Mongabay, Science, Science News Explores, National Geographic News, Nature Medicine, Cancer Discovery, Bay Nature magazine, the Bay Area Monitor, Stanford Medicine magazine, and others.
Technical Publications Specialist, The Purina Institute, St. Louis, MO.
Translated scientific innovations in companion animal nutrition into practical findings for veterinary professionals. Hosted webinars and meet-the-scientists, created informational videos and website content, developed supporting materials for international science conferences. Created a scientific exhibit to show the impact of nutrition on our pets' DNA.
Managing Editor for inquiry@UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA.
Launched the first three editions of a research magazine for the UC Santa Cruz Office of Research to showcase the breadth and depth of scientific research conducted on campus. I edited features, wrote news briefs, managed contract writers, and helped create magazine design.
Invited Writer for the Beckman Initiative for Macular Research, Irvine, CA.
Covered task groups on nanomedicine, regulatory medicine, and the biochemical basis of disease, at this multidisciplinary conference about the leading cause of blindness in older Americans.
News Intern for the San Jose Mercury News and the Monterey Herald, CA.
Wrote articles, both pitched and assigned, for the metro news desk in San Jose, California. Many front page placements covering regional news under daily deadlines for the Herald.
Provenance:
UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Program/ARCS Scholar
Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, DVM
Boston University School of Medicine, Biochemistry and Immunology
University of Vermont, BA, Zoology