I am from a small agricultural town in California and came to conservation as a second career when I was 30. I am a multidisciplinary objects conservator with a background as an artist with a keen interest in natural history and historic craft- from pottery and glassblowing to furniture making and blacksmithing. I have been trained as a figure drawing artist in Florence Italy at the art school founded by Michelangelo, in analog book printing at St. Hieronymus Press in Berkeley, in the conservation of ceramics, glass, and related materials at West Dean College in England, and Monuments Conservation at Central Park Conservancy in New York City. During my studies at West Dean College I was nominated to act as student body president after a year of volunteering as subject student representative for the School of Conservation Board. I organized two internationally attended conservation related conferences and recieved multiple scholarships to fund my studies. I was nominated for the Trustee's award at the end of my MA year, and recently won the student prize for the ICON Ceramics & Glass Group's Nigel Williams Award. Over this past summer I have worked with Central Parks Conservancy as a Monuments Conservation Intern and am now working towards gaining more skills in the conservation of archeological materials and natural history specimens. My past research has been on the material science, specifically on assessing novel fill material for use in ceramics conservation. I am interested in research around critical conservation theory, bone and tool material analysis and treatment, and in creating accessible testing methods for exploring new materials for use in conservation.