Originally from Tucson, AZ, I obtained my bachelors degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Arizona. There I specialized in Cultural Heritage Conservation Science and well as in Characterization Studies. While at the UofA I did most of my research in the field of art conservation. I studied at the Arizona State Museum and at the Western Association for Art Conservation (WAAC) as a conservation assistant for a number of years. In order to integrate more science in my museum experience I also did research with Dr. Pamela Vandiver at the University of Arizona on the characterization and recreation of Ru ware, a 12th century Chinese pottery. From there I worked with Dr. Kelly Simmons-Potter on the accelerated aging and laser ablation of museum polymers, specifically PVA and B-72, on ceramic substrates.
In the Dunand group I am studying biological ceramics, namely teeth. I am working both at Northwestern and at Argonne National Lab to determine how load is transferred both nanoscopically and microscopically within the tooth structure. By considering the tooth structure as a ceramic-polymer composite we hope to be able to identify the reasons and mechanisms associated with tooth strength. This is done by using Synchrotron irradiation and analyzing diffraction ring deformation. I hope to one day expand this work to the art field and become a professor in Cultural Heritage conservation science.
