In 2005, while I was writing the last bits of my dissertation at UH, a job offer from the Smithsonian arrived in my email inbox.  It was an opportunity to continue to do research on invasive marine species, work with some of the top people in the field of invasion biology, and help to develop a laboratory based in the San Fransisco Bay Area.

There is something incredibly satisfying in helping others achieve their goals whether it be learning how to make a layup in basketball, figuring out the SN1 and SN2 substitution mechanisms of organic chemistry, or gaining admittance to medical school.