About me
My academic and professional journey
I started my higher-education journey studying environmental science at the University of Michigan, specializing in urban and environmental planning. The program provided foundations in ecology, geology, biology, and chemistry, as well as in social-scientific and philosophical approaches to addressing many types of environmental problems. I also dabbled in a few computer science courses after having been captivated by an introductory programming course in C++. However, it was an episode of NOVA on PBS about monkeys controlling computers with their thoughts via brain-computer interfaces that fascinated me the most. At the time, I didn’t think I was smart enough to study something like neuroscience or biomedical engineering, so I continued my day-to-day studies.
For the next 10+ years, I worked in various roles in software development for a construction management consulting firm that started their own in-house software development operation. From technical writing to UI design, digital marketing, and customer support, I wore a lot of hats.
In 2015, I decided to pursue a Master’s degree part-time in Human-Computer Interaction, data visualization, and applied machine learning at the University of Michigan School of Information (UMSI). As a result, my role at PMA Consultants expanded to UX research, product management, innovation strategy, recruiting, and managing UX-design and UI-engineering direct reports. However, my coursework at UMSI in applied cognitive psychology and machine learning got me thinking again about more fundamental topics related to mind, brain, and behavior. What pushed me over the edge turned out to be another PBS series called The Brain (with neuroscientist David Eagleman), which explores topics such as perception, reality, and free will. I decided to apply to PhD programs in Cognitive Science in order pursue research in consciousness and artificial intelligence.
I’m currently a PhD Candidate in Cognitive and Information Sciences at the University of California, Merced, using experimental, philosophical, and computational approaches to study the mind. My dissertation advisor is Jeff Yoshimi. You can learn more about my research here.
For funsies
When I’m not doing research or reading, I am an avid runner, adventure traveler, and photographer. Stay tuned for my photography portfolio!
Feel free to contact me via email.