I currently serve on the board of directors of 826 MSP, formerly the Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute: a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the achievement gap in the Twin Cities among K-12 students. We are the most recent addition to the 826 National network of non-profit organizations.

​826michigan is our sister organization in Southeastern Michigan. Similarly, they run in-school programs, tutoring sessions, after-school workshops, field trips, and many other activities geared towards writing of all shapes and sizes. While I was a Ph.D. student, I volunteered as part of this amazing organization. Go visit Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair in Ann Arbor and the Detroit Robot Factory!
I was the inaugural winner for the US version of I'm A Scientist, an online program to connect early career scientists with primary school students across the country. I used the prize money from this project to fund my other outreach activities.
I'm A Scientist USA
Throughout my career as a scientist, I have worked with multiple organizations, including the Detroit Zoological Society, on best practices for connecting the public - especially young students - with modern scientists and scientific research. I recently wrote an article for The Conversation about how new technology can help with this mission in the context of natural history museums.
Outside of my research and career, I am an avid music-lover and a once and future musician. This has led to a lifelong obsession with modern media and its intersection with society. A long-time collaborator and I are currently on hiatus from an equally long-gestating project, previewed here:

What She & Shi Said @ Wordpress
Header/background design from Showtime's "Penny Dreadful."