Age: 30
BS biology ’08
Postdoctoral research fellow, Drexel University
My Greatest Accomplishment
Completing my doctorate in the cutting-edge field of molecular paleontology and being a part of the team led by former Drexel paleontologist Ken Lacovara that discovered and excavated Dreadnoughtus schrani, a new species of supermassive dinosaur, while an undergraduate at Drexel.
How Drexel Helped
I met Lacovara as a freshman, and he opened my eyes to the fascinating field of paleontology. He, along with the support from the rest of the Biology Department, encouraged me to explore my curiosity in paleontology through various academic endeavors such as seminars, conferences and courses, and then through the ultimate opportunity sophomore year as an invited member of the team that would travel to Patagonia, Argentina, to dig up one of the world’s largest dinosaurs ever discovered. Additionally, I am back at Drexel as a postdoc, and teaching various courses in the Biology Department, one of the other passions I discovered through my academic career.
Where I’ll Be In Five Years
I want to be a professor. I want to teach and inspire the next generation of scientists, much like Lacovara (and many of my undergrad professors at Drexel) did for me. Also, hopefully, I will be spending some time in another quarry, somewhere, digging up more awesome fossils.