I’m a science communicator.

Science should be accessible to all. I want to bridge the gap between climate scientists and the public. Only together will we tackle the climate crisis.

We know that climate change is a problem — we just need to motivate folks to do something about it.

In the picture above, I am 17. I was in high school when I figured I wanted to be a climate scientist. I was working at Best Buy at the time. It was there, in Best Buy, that I realized how politicized and divisive climate change was. A coworker or customer would ask me about my future plans, and I would find myself in a rapidly deteriorating conversation. This confused me. If climate change was backed up by science, what was there to argue about? I set out to understand and bridge these gaps.

Science communication remains my primary motivation for being a climate scientist in the first place. I’ve taken every opportunity possible to center science communication in my education. In addition to my normal, required coursework, I’ve taken six different courses on science communication. I’ve learned how to write for all kinds of audiences — policymakers, newspapers, academics, and the public. Now, I take my skills outside of the classroom.

During my gap year between my undergraduate and graduate studies, I contributed to the Office of the Washington State Climatologist’s monthly newsletter. I also wrote several articles for the 2021 CICOES Magazine.

In 2023, I gave an award-winning presentation at the American Meteorological Society’s 104th Annual Meeting.

In 2024, I was named a UCI CLIMATE Justice Initiative fellow. This transformative program pairs PhD students with local community-based organizations, with the goal of creating science that meets the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. Through CJI, I was paired with Getting Residents Engaged in Empowering Neighborhoods — Madison Park Neighborhood Association (GREEN-MPNA). Together, we are researching the tools that Santa Ana residents need to beat the heat.

I’m on the executive board for Climate Literacy, Empowerment, and iNquiry (CLEAN) K-12 outreach program at UCI. I help to bring UCI climate scientists into local classrooms to talk about climate science and career pathways. I volunteer with GREEN-MPNA’s K-12 science academy, ALMA. I've also occasionally popped into my own K-12 teachers’ classrooms to talk with students.

In my spare time, I occasionally review board games. If you just pictured Monopoly, think again — there are now hundreds of board games that tackle climate change and other environmental topics. I take a critical look at their portrayal of science, as well as the environmental impacts of board game productions.

I was named a 2024 American Geophysical Union Voice for Science for my science communication efforts.