What is your qualifying background?
Before immigrating to Germany from the USA in 2019, I was working on my tan as a postdoc in Miami, Florida. Prior to that, I received my PhD in Marine Science from the University of North Carolina, where I developed a fascination with coastal carbon biogeochemistry. During my earlier degrees in soil science (MS) and environmental science (BS), I learned about the importance of interdisciplinarity in science, which I try my best to continue now.
How would you describe your working daily routine?
After rinsing off the sweat/bugs/ice from my morning bike commute, I make some coffee and check my emails. Then I might have a paper that just came back from review, which I need to work on. Once I have finished that, I mop up the tears from my desk (it was a harsh review) and eat a quick lunch to recover. In the afternoon, I might head down to the lab to work on one of our instruments, or (more likely) write some text for a proposal that is due the following week. Lastly, I’ll check the weather, and decide that yes, I will need to put on a rain jacket for the bike commute home.
What has been your biggest success so far?
Apart from being hired to work at HZG with Helmuth’s Alkalinity group, I’m really proud of my half-marathon PR, and that time I baked the cakes for my wedding, and they turned out half-way decent.
Do you have a big goal?
Yes! After many years as a semi-competitive distance runner, I’ve had a series of injuries recently that have prevented me from racing. My goal is to fully recover from these setbacks and get back into racing shape!
As a scientist, though, my overarching goal is to bridge spatial/temporal scales in the drivers of CO2 uptake/release in the coastal ocean. For example, I am interested in how the physical processes acting in the narrow sea surface microlayer (often less than 1 mm thick!) can affect large scale patterns in air-sea CO2 exchange. Likewise, I want to know how weathering products delivered over hundreds of kilometers can drive oceanic CO2 uptake. So, my broad goal is to develop theories of coastal biogeochemistry that equally consider physical, biological, and chemical drivers.
Finally, I have always wanted to bake the perfect baguette … however, this goal may be a bit more challenging than the rest.
Do you have any personal distinctive mark?
I should be noticeable at some distance by the ‘distinctive’ size of my ears, or the fact that I am always wearing a sweater, even when it’s hot out.
