Hello! My name is Chrissy. I’m a Ph.D. Candidate, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and Ford Foundation Fellow in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. My research focuses on making STEM more accessible and inclusive to students of all backgrounds and identities.
I graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with dual Bachelor degrees in Chemistry and Neuroscience, and as that year’s UW College of Arts and Sciences Gonfalon. My passion for travel, history, and photography led me to study abroad in Italy, Scotland, India, and England. Before starting my Ph.D., I also spent a year as a DAAD Graduate Scholar doing research at the Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin to understand the structure of molecules under ultracold conditions (–270 ºC !! ).
My interest in chemistry persisted into my graduate studies, where I started trying to better understand how water molecules vibrate and interact with one another, within water droplets. My desire to make the field of chemistry more diverse and inclusive led me to switch my research focus to STEM education.
Now, I develop methods to understand issues that negatively affect diversity, equity, inclusion, and sense of belonging among graduate communities. Using the data I gather, I design, implement, and assess interventions to directly combat these disparities within academic communities. I am so happy and thankful to have the support of a dedicated team of graduate students, faculty and staff, whom I work alongside to advance diversity and create opportunities to promote equity and inclusion within the Berkeley College of Chemistry.
My work has been published in a variety of academic journals, and was recognized by the UC Berkeley campus community in 2019, when I was awarded an outstanding leadership award. For more details, see my current projects.
Outside of my research, I am heavily invested in mentoring and supporting young students from underrepresented groups through applying to graduate school, coping with imposter phenomenon, navigating the process of switching fields, and persisting through the challenges that students of color face, which I myself have experienced. My outreach has been featured in publications by the NSF INCLUDES National Network, the Berkeley Science Review, and the Strong Enough Girls blog. Feel free to reach out if you want to chat!