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I am very passionate about teaching and scientific outreach. I am often at my happiest when I am discussing my research and academic interests with people who are new to or unfamiliar with the topics. I see every conversation, even the most passive, as an opportunity to educate and bring science to the forefront of more people's minds.

Select Outreach and Science Communication
(See my Media & Press section for more!)

Dino Fest | NHMLA

2018

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December 2023-present

Instagram

Started making reels on my Instagram, @Formorphology, which have garned several thousand plays.

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March 18, 2023

NHMLA Girls in STEM Day

Shared paleontology with many amazing girls at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's Girls in STEM Day.

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February 16, 2022

A. Watson Armour III Research Seminar Series Guest Speaker

Talked about my journey and path to paleontology as a Black Woman for a Black History Month seminar series for the Field Museum in Chicago.

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March 17, 2021

Guest lectured about my research and journey for a biology class at CSUSB

I was invited to discuss my research and path to paleontology for a Cal State San Bernardino, Comparative Biology of Vertebrates class. CSUSB is a primary Hispanic serving institution. 

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November 14, 2019

Nerd Nite LA

I was a presenter for "Nerd Nite," an event featured in cities across the world where "nerds" have the opportunity to share their nerdy knowledge topics in a laid back, mature, middle-brow setting. I gave a talk on my PhD research, and it was titled "Land was just a phase! I'm not that tetrapod anymore.” It was a hit, both in educational delivery and audience laughs.

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November 11, 2017

National Fossil Day

I volunteered to help assist with the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology's (SVP) table on National Fossil Day 2017 (Nov 9th) at the National Mall in Washington DC. I discussed the end-Permian extinction and the evolution of Triassic reptiles with visitors.

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December 12, 2023

Nerd Nite LA

Shared my research with wonderful and knowledge-enthusiastic folks in a relaxed, brewery setting. The presentation was Avatar-themed and hilarious if I do say so myself.

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June 16, 2022

Burpee Museum's Paleo Fest invited speaker

I was an invited speaker at the Burpee Museum's Paleo Fest in Rockford, Illinois, an annual event where paleontological researchers get to present their science to a public audience. 

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November 1, 2021

Skype a Scientist

Featured speaker for Skype a Scientist, a wonderful program which puts real scientists across various fields in K-12 classrooms. I got to share my story and answer amazing questions about paleontology!

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March 17, 2021

Rutgers Geology Museum "Ask a Geologist" speaker

I was invited to talk about mosasaurs for a mostly young audience through the Rutgers University Geology Museum's "Ask a Geologist" program.

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September, 2018

NHMLA's Dino Fest

Volunteered to help represent USC Paleosciences at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles for their 2018 Dino Fest, a two-day festival that is all things dinosaurs and paleontology. I talked with table visitors about titanosaurs, tyrannosaurs, vertebrae, and deep time.

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September, 2017

Virginia Tech Museum of Geosciences Outreach

Two visiting classes of JROTC students from the Franklin Military Academy of Richmond, VA, were given grad student taught lessons on varied topics in earth sciences and paleontology utilizing the museum resources as part of an outreach relationship between the museum and school. My lessons were on geologic time and evolution and were a big hit!

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Oct 1, 2023

USC Alumni Day & Natural History Museum

Gave special VIP tours to groups of USC Alumni at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Topped off with a special table presentation of some of our coolest museum specimens!

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March 21, 2022

Inaugural USC Dornsife Communicator of the Year Award (PhD student)

Received the first ever Communicator of the Year Award from the USC Dornsofe College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences for my efforts in Science Communication and Outreach.

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March 20, 2021

Wrote an article for The Conversation

This article, which targeted a broad audience used real comparative anatomy differences between reptiles and primates in attempt to pick a winner ahead of the movie release for Godzilla vs. Kong. The article was read over 130,000 times.

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January 11, 2020

Long Beach Comic Expo

I had the opportunity to be a featured panelist on on all women paleontologist team at Long Beach Comic Expo for a session titled "Pop Paleo" which discussed with and answered questions from audience members on how paleontology influences popular culture (fantasy, sci-fi, movies, video games, etc). This panel was hosted by Space Expo and Cosplay for Science.

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July 26, 2019

Project Scientist 

As one of Project Scientist's "Superstars" for the week, I had the wonderful opportunity to talk to a diverse group of girls, aged 4-12, about marine tetrapods, paleontology, science, and my life journey. Project Scientist is a wonderful program that aims to get young girls interested in STEM fields.

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2017

Virginia Tech Center for Communicating Science Opening Ceremony

To celebrate the opening of Virginia Tech's brand new Center for Communicating Science, which I was on the Advisory Board for, a friendly competition called the "Nutshell Games" was held where your graduate research is described in 90 seconds, or in a nutshell. I explained my broader interest and research on the themes of convergent evolution in vertebrates.

Teaching

History of Life: A View from the Museum, LAB (GEOL 126)

Teaching Assistant, Spring 2019 and Spring 2023, Univeristy of Southern California

Lab delves into hands on applications of material covered in the lecture course described as "topically-driven exploration of evolution, environmental change, and the history of life on Earth via the fossil record with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles as a laboratory. How the changing Earth and life co-evolved through time."

For the 2023 semester, the course professor, Dr. Frank Corsetti, additionally let me present my research to the entire class for one lecture.

Planet Earth (GEOL 105)

Teaching Assistant, Fall 2018, University of Southern California

Broad lab topics covered which served as an extension to topics covered in lecture which on the geologic structure and evolution of planet earth including principles of plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, processes of mountain building, continent and ocean formation, earthquakes, volcanism, fossils and geologic time, and development of landforms by running water and glaciers.

Conservation Ecology (11:216:317)

Grading Assistant, Spring 2018, Rutgers University

Graded weekly written assignments and research papers, with effective feedback to facilitate writing improvement. Assignments pertained to various topics on the effects of technology and population growth on species, ecosystems, and human communities, environmental impact of agricultural and industrial systems, global environmental change, and biological and social underpinnings of conservation.

Physical Geology, LAB (GEOS 1104)

Teaching Assistant, Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Virginia Tech

First half of this lab course focused on identification of minerals and rocks; with the second half delving into broader physical geologic themes including interpreting and building geologic maps, topographic maps and air photographs and their use in understanding landscape and geologic influences on human activities.

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