Mentor: Carolyn Sevier
Education:
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Bachelor of Science with Highest Distinction, 12/2013
Awards and Honors:
Phi Beta Kappa, Purdue University, 2014
Alpha Xi Delta Women’s Fraternity Alpha Epsilon Alumnae Scholarship Recipient, 2014
Barbara Cook Chapter of Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society Graduate Fellowship, 2014
Purdue University Barbara Cook Chapter Mortar Board Honor Society, Class of 2014
Purdue University Commencement Student Responder, December 2013
Purdue University College of Agriculture Gruel Memorial Endowment Scholarship, 2013-14
Alpha Xi Delta Alpha Eta Chapter Burrel Newby Scholarship Award recipient, 2013-14
Alpha Xi Delta Alpha Eta Chapter Slaymaker-Kinsey Academic Achievement Award, 2012-13
Purdue University Biochemistry Department Edwin T. Mertz Memorial Scholarship, 2011-14
Purdue University College of Agriculture Dean’s Scholar
Purdue University Presidential Scholarship recipient, 2010-13
Purdue University Dean’s List and Semester Honors, all semesters from Fall 2010 to Fall 2013
Purdue University Biochemistry Department Outstanding Freshman (2010-11), Sophomore (2011-12), Junior (2012-13) and Senior (2013-14)
Research Experience:
Project: Analysis of domain deletion alleles of the PICKLE chromatin remodeling factor
Principle Investigator: Professor Joe Ogas
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana May 2012 – December 2013
Project: Structure and mechanism of enzymes in the purine biosynthesis pathway in Acetobacter aceti
Principle Investigator: Professor T.J. Kappock
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana August 2011 – May 2012
Current Research Activities:
The chemical redox environment of a cell is critical to its normal function, yet how biological systems sense and respond to reactive oxygen species (ROS) is poorly understood. My current research seeks to characterize a novel pathway in maintaining cellular proteostasis under oxidative stress centered around the cytosolic 70-kDa heat shock protein (Hsp70) family. I am interested in how the chemistry of redox-active protein modifications impacts cell physiology and the emerging role of cellular ROS as a chemically important signaling molecule.