B.S. and M.S. in biological sciences from the University of the Pacific.
I used a DNA fingerprinting technique to determine algal communities in the San Joaquin River. My master’s thesis was part of a much larger project that studied water flow in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
To enjoy what I do and continue to learn new skills. Being part of a bioenergy breakthrough would be a nice bonus!
I enjoy investigating my surroundings. I’ve always been curious about the details that make things work, and I’ve been fortunate to make a career out of this interest.
One of my grad school classmates was a Sandian. He seemed to love his job, and I was impressed that he could pursue a master’s degree while working. When I was approached about an internship, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
Starting as an intern gave me a great vantage point to observe Sandia’s work environment. I enjoyed working with very experienced, knowledgeable technologists and scientists, and I liked the fact that I was participating in cutting-edge research every day. I also wanted to gain experience in bioenergy research, so Sandia’s increasing involvement in that effort was very attractive.
As an intern, I helped study a bacterium that can potentially be used in bioremediation. My role consisted of surveying proteins that change their expression levels in response to different environmental stressors.
I had very little previous experience with protein work and was curious to see what could be done with the resulting data. Every day, I learned new techniques and worked on machines that I had never had access to before. To learn so much in such a short time was really exciting and gave me an even greater appreciation for the opportunities available at a national lab.
I also assisted other technologists in generating a great amount of data in a much shorter time frame. The techniques being used were extremely time-consuming, so my time was fully dedicated to eliminating the backlog and keeping the project up to date.
As a member of the Biosystems Research Department, I contribute to a bioenergy project. My part involves using genetic-engineering methods to increase a bacterium’s production of ethanol.
I really enjoy working on projects with environmental applications, and I now know what it’s like to be on the forefront of bioenergy research. With so much public interest and global attention on the energy crisis, it’s exciting to see how fast R&D happens and how creative researchers are. I just have to keep up!
I could be interested in any area of biology, but I tend to gravitate toward finding solutions to environmental or medical problems.
Working on a project from start to finish—with all of the intermediate troubleshooting—is a challenge. Seeing that project be ultimately successful is a great reward and validation of the effort you’ve put in.
Carrie standing in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.
Resources—both equipment and personnel—are readily available at Sandia. I can always get whatever I need to do my job better or faster.
Cooking, reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. –Maya Angelou
Be gracious and appreciative of the opportunities afforded to you. Accept your strengths, but also recognize your weaknesses and work on them.
My mom has always encouraged me in everything I’ve wanted to do. She is a great example of the type of person I would like to be.
I’d tour Europe!