I earned my doctorate in Communication from the University of Washington in 2010. Since then, I have pursued my passion for scholarly research, and for projects that have a real-world impact as an Associate Scholar with UW's Center for Local Strategies Research. I believe that communication research can contribute to better public health, better relations between scientists and their subjects, and more sustainable human development.

Raised on the East Coast of the US, I have lived in several different US states, as well as Istanbul, Turkey. I moved to Seattle for graduate school, and have chosen to stay here for the city's beauty as well as its growing global health community.