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Current job: Director-Research at Amgen
What life experiences may have led you to a career in STEM?
I had an inherited pediatric condition that required a lot of hospital time as a child. Being around doctors and nurses so much gave me motivation to understand why people got sick. That led to an interest in research and finally to Amgen.
What are some fun and interesting facts about your life with which students might identify?
I rode a motorcycle throughout high school and college. I am the first person in my family to graduate from college, much less from graduate school. Growing up in California and Texas, I had never even seen snow when I moved to Salt Lake City for graduate school much less experienced a blizzard. My first blizzard (with my motorcycle) happened 2 months after I arrived!
What other other things should students know about you?
My career ambitions and path took me to many different “places”. There is no right path, and in fact many of the detours help you clarify what you enjoy doing and what your passion is. Plus you meet some very interesting people! So I could encourage them to reflect on what interests them right now. And then pursue that until something more fascinating comes along!
