Selected News & Media

California State University Student Success

 

The discovery of a possible sign of life in Venus’ clouds sparked controversy. Now, scientists say they have more proof.

CNN, July 24, 2024

 

Countdown to Mars, NASA Astrobiology Program

 

Venus sounds like the last place for life, but…could photosynthesis happen in its clouds?

SyFy.com, October 5, 2021

 

Life on Venus? The Picture Gets Cloudier

The New York Times, February 8, 2021

 

Mystery of Interplanetary Expeditions

Atlas Obscura, August 24, 2018

 

It Turns Out Bacteria Can Eat the Chemicals NASA Puts on Spacecraft to Kill Them

Popular Mechanics, June 6, 2018

 

 

 Research Interests 

• Venus planetary science and astrobiology: Considerations for past, present, and future habitability.

• Planetary Protection: Biochemical survival mechanisms of spacecraft-associated microorganisms.

• Chemical Biology: Development of molecular and biochemical assays for microbial ecology.
  

 

 

Courses & Programs

1. Cal Poly Pomona (09/05-present)

Undergraduate Courses:

CHM 3270 & 3270L Biochemistry I & Biochemistry I Laboratory

CHM 3280 & 3280L, Biochemistry II & Biochemistry II Laboratory

CHM 3210, Elements of Biochemistry (1 semester survey course for non-majors)

CHM 4510 & 4510L, Enzymology and Enzymology Laboratory

CHM 4630, Senior Seminar

CHM 1210, General Chemistry I

CHM 1210L, General Chemistry Laboratory I

CHM 1220L, General Chemistry Laboratory II

Graduate Courses:

CHM 5610, Structure and Function of Biomolecules;

CHM 5620, Bioinorganic Chemistry

CHM 5500, Seminar in Chemistry

 

2. NASA/CSU Spaceward Bound (2009-2016)

Undergraduate & Graduate Pre-Service Teachers:

NASA/CSU Spaceward Bound: Field research and expedition experiences in astrobiology for pre-service teachers.

 

3. Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University (08/03-05/05)

Undergraduate Courses:

Honors Organic Chemistry I & II; Honors Biochemistry

 

4. UC Santa Cruz (03/02-06/02)

 Undergraduate Course:

Advanced Inorganic Laboratory

 

5. CSU Chico (08/00-05/01)

Undergraduate Courses:

General Chemistry II, Organic Chemistry for Allied Sciences, Chemical Literature

 

  

Education & Training

Research Fellow

NASA Astrobiology Program (06/16-09/16)

Project: Metabolomics of permafrost along an age gradient. (Supervisor: M. Kirven-Brooks)

Policy Sabbatical

Detail Assignment, NASA Headquarters, Washington D.C. (08/11-08/12)

Project: Analysis and promulgation of Planetary Protection policy for robotic and human exploration. (Supervisors: C. A. Conley, P. Stabekis)

Research Sabbatical

The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA (05/04-07/04)

Project: Synthesis of epothilone fragments.

(Advisor: K. C. Nicolaou)

Postdoctoral Research

University of California, Santa Cruz, CA (01/99-08/00)                   

Projects:  Kinetic and spectroscopic studies of plant and human lipoxygenases. (Advisor: T. R. Holman)

Ph.D.

Chemistry (Organic Chemistry), University of California, Davis, CA (08/93-08/98)

Thesis:  Isotopic substitution with unstable nuclei to study protein binding sites.

B.S.

Chemistry, University of Redlands, Redlands, CA (08/88-05/92)

Thesis:  Kinetics and purification of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase