What is your role with Sanford Research?

I joined the team in 2019 and I am a senior research education specialist with the Sanford Research PROMISE program.

Tell us about yourself.

I am a teacher at heart.  I spent 10 years teaching high school biology before I decided it was time for a change.  When I had my second daughter, I decided to stop teaching and get a Master’s degree in STEM education.  After finishing my degree, I went back to teaching until I read about an open position at Sanford Research.  I was drawn to the position because of the challenge it presented as well as the ability to learn about current science.  The new role with PROMISE allows me to be both a teacher and a student.  I really love to teach because I love that moment when a student has an “a-ha” moment.  I also love learning about science and am curious to learn more every day.

How is your career different now?

Before joining Sanford PROMISE, my understanding of research was limited.  I spent my career teaching science to students.  Every year, we would start with the basics and work our way up to more complicated processes.  When the school year was over, I would hit “reset” and start again for another year. That changed when I started working at Sanford Research.   When you work alongside scientists and research staff in a research facility, you learn quickly that science changes every day and there is no reset button.
I began to attend seminars in which scientists were throwing around words like Notch signaling, sea horse, hypoxia, and more acronyms than I could keep straight.  More than a year later, I finally understand what these words mean but more than that, I understand the spirit of research.  Research scientists are driven by questions, undeterred by failure, and constantly on a quest to understand.  They are methodical and precise.  Scientists are also passionate about helping people.  They seek to understand, so that one day their work will inform a treatment that could help patients to be healthier.  They trudge through the daily processes of western blots and assays so that one day they will have an “a-ha!” moment.  This drives them to keep going.  It is my goal to help highlight the science done at Sanford Research and to build public trust in research.  

What motivates you?

As an educator, I am inspired to help students find their way into research careers.  If research is not for them, I am happy to know that the students who visit us gain an understanding of the importance of research to our society.