My path to educational research and learning sciences is a non-traditional one. I graduated from Texas Christian University summa cum laude with a B.B.A. in Finance and a minor in French in 2009, then spent several years working as a fee-only financial planner in Fort Worth, where I earned my Certified Financial Planner™ designation.
In 2012, after a move to Portland, Oregon, I began working as a research assistant at Portland State University, first with Dr. Leslie Hammer and later with Dr. Talya Bauer and Dr. Donald Truxillo, studying workplace health and well-being.
That experience convinced me to pursue a doctorate in psychology, and in 2015 I joined the Psychological Sciences I/O program at Rice University, where I worked with Dr. Margaret Beier.
At Rice, my research focused on STEM education — specifically, how students develop academic identity and persistence, what early experiences shape their trajectories, and how programs like STEM summer bridge interventions affect outcomes. I earned my M.A. in 2018 and my Ph.D. in 2020.
After completing my doctorate, I joined the Rice OpenStax research team as a post-doc, then later moved into my current role as a Research Scientist. My work has expanded considerably since, and I now design and manage studies on the OpenStax Kinetic learning research platform, lead a financial literacy education initiative at the college level, and contribute to grant development and publication across both of my research areas.
Throughout my career, I have focused on furthering rigorous, evidence-based research that leads to better outcomes for students and young adults, both in their academic journeys and in their personal and professional lives.