About Dr G
From Long Island to Davis
I grew up on Long Island, NY, knowing pretty much nothing about science other than I loved doing punnett squares and RFLP mapping questions in the 9th grade. Something about genetics really clicked for me, and that interest ultimately led me to attend New York University for my undergraduate degree, where I earned a B.A. in Biology in 2016 with minors in Genetics and American Sign Language. During my time there, it took me a long time to realize that undergraduates could participate in research, something that ended up shaping my own path in science. I ultimately conducted research in developmental genetics with Dr. Jeremy Nance at the Skirball Institute, as well as plant and biology education research with Dr. Eric D. Brenner (who have since moved to the University of Washington and Pace University, respectively).
After graduating from NYU, I was eager to gain additional research experience in plants and worked with Dr. Daniel Koenig at UC Riverside on evolutionary genomics. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with the West Coast and moved to Davis for my Ph.D. I completed my Ph.D. in Integrative Genetics and Genomics at UC Davis under the supervision of Dr. Nitzan Shabek, where I studied plant protein biochemistry. I also completed a designated emphasis in Biotechnology and transitioned into pedagogical training through the Future Undergraduate Science Educators (FUSE) program.
During my Ph.D., I realized how powerful teaching undergraduates could be and discovered how much I loved working with students in the classroom and interacting with our amazing students here at UC Davis. I was fortunate to then lecture in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology for two years before beginning my current role as an Assistant Professor of Teaching, where my scholarship focuses on effective teaching practices and how we can help students develop a stronger sense of scientific identity.
If you are interested in our research, please visit the Research page to learn more. If you have questions about different paths in science, graduate school, careers in biology, getting involved, or would simply like to connect, please visit our Contact page