Higher education is an inherently privileged space. I am passionate about lowering these barriers to accessing and thriving in an academic space. As a first-generation, low-income student, I struggled to realize that I didn't have the same access to all of the same resources as my peers (An anonymized telling of my story is available here).

Today I am committed to raising awareness about the need for socioeconomic diversity in the academy.
#PoorInAcademica

Building a diverse scientific community means that we need to take measure of our students and trainees as whole people and as such tailor their educational experiences. Furthermore, I believe STEM training can no longer be one size fits all. A trainee’s life experiences affect their pursuit of an advanced degree in STEM in many subtle and insidious ways: having access to reliable transportation, feeling comfortable and confident at conference social hours, being able to freely move across the country, and financially supporting a family member among innumerable others. In fact, I would go so far as to say that there is a hidden curriculum of graduate and postdoctoral training that continues even after that which is already well explored for undergraduate education.

We can and should do better by demystifying the academy.