I am a postdoctoral fellow at UAA working on sustainable biotechnologies for rare earth element recovery. I also work in metal-contaminated environments to understand how pollution impacts the nitrogen cycle, trace metal biogeochemistry, microbial ecology, and water and soil quality. In addition to my postdoc research projects, I have the honor of participating in the inaugural planning team for the Arctic Leadership Initiative (ALI), a strategic endeavor intended to elevate Alaskans to leadership roles in Arctic research.