Biography
Organized chaos is a phrase that I use to describe how I have been deflected off my original path to become a health inspector so many times. However, the different experiences encountered has led me to a career that I am most passionate about.
I realized that I had an appreciation of all science when I attended Brooklyn Technical High School (New York) where I majored in bio-medical science. However, it was also at this time that I knew I did not want to become a doctor. Becoming a doctor is usually one of the highest praised professions in an African American household. I could not foreshadow that I would actually become a doctor, but not of the medical kind.
I attended St. John’s University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Environmental Science. I interned in the coral research lab at the New York Aquarium where I was responsible for coral husbandry. I was starting to develop my own research project when my advisor was fired from the Aquarium. The director of the research lab, who was located at Columbia University, took me under his wing and allowed me to continue project development at that institution. He inquired what my plans would be after receiving my bachelor’s degree. My automatic response was that I would pursue a master’s degree in Occupational Safety and Health Administration so that I could become a health inspector for restaurants. He asked if I considered going further and pursuing a Ph.D. I was not aware of this degree before he mentioned it as I was set on completing a master’s and immediately enter the work force.
I applied to two schools in New York and was accepted to the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School where I completed my Ph. D in Ecology, Evolution and Animal Behavior. During my graduate career, I completed a GK-12 fellowship whose purpose was for STEM graduate students to bring their dissertation research and findings into K-12 learning settings. I worked with elementary and high school teachers to promote science inquiry by creating curriculum from my dissertation research. This experience showed me that I had a gift for teaching and curriculum development. No matter the grade level, the students were always engaged and able to absorb the information that I delivered.
After being an adjunct at different colleges in the CUNY system, I knew that I preferred to teach at the collegiate level rather than performing research. I applied to different community colleges in New York and Florida and that decision brought me to Broward College. My enthusiasm for teaching is not only felt through my interactions with my students but with my colleagues as well. Broward College has afforded many opportunities to showcase my talents as well as further develop my skills as a professor and I am proud to be a part of this institution.
