I started this blog to discuss aspects of science in academic and professional contexts and pass along knowledge that I wish I had while struggling to get to where I am today. In 2025, I’m a husband, father, computational chemist, consultant, and educator looking to make significant impact on the next generation of researchers. But the road has been full of exhilarating highs and soul-crushing lows with everything in between.
How I got here:
I was born in the small town of Hillsboro, TX in 1985. I first entertained the possibility of a scientific career as an insecure 8-year-old boy who wanted to study genetics—not to cure disease or save the planet, but to give myself more confidence in my physical appearance, starting with my untameably curly hair. I was convinced that my happiness depended solely on having the sleek, straight locks my friends enjoyed. This was almost two decades before Doudna and Charpentier introduced the world to CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, but even back then, my trips to the library after school planted an idea in my mind: with science, anything is possible.
The educators in my home town did the absolute best with the available resources; however, the quality of education left much to be desired. Namely, I had no access to chemistry, physics, or calculus courses in high school, but thankfully I had biology. I graduated Valedictorian of my small class in 2004 and earned admission to a state university with registration fees covered for the first year of college. My dream school at the time was the University of Texas in Austin…I wanted to be a Longhorn. The only problem was my procrastination, which resulted in missing the admissions deadline. I took the consolation of going to UT Arlington, or UT “Almost” as we jokingly referred to it. That decision would prove life-changing, but not in an expected way.
Biochemistry seemed like a sensible choice of major that combined my growing interest in chemistry and biology, so that’s what I chose. During a chemistry course on quantitative analysis, I met my future wife Christine, a fellow biochemistry major who would switch to biology the following semester. After earning our degrees together in 2008, I decided to follow her back to her home state of California, which led to applying to two UC graduate programs. I would ultimately choose the PhD program in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at UCLA.
Graduate school marked the beginning of the best and also most difficult times in my life. The course work, teaching, research projects, and deadlines were unforgiving. Christine and I got married in 2010 and would have two children, Everett (2012) and Amelia (2014), during my graduate career. Financial struggles were intense. I almost failed out of the PhD program on two separate occasions. I had a loving family and friends, but life trials were hard and they would only get harder.
Postdoctoral contracts moved our family from California to Connecticut, back to California, and finally to New Mexico over the next few years. I gained invaluable experience in industry, academia, and private business. Financial clouds loomed constantly, however, as we had to continue borrowing money from my in-laws on top of the debt I had amassed from graduate school in Los Angeles. Then came the combined punch of COVID-19 lockdowns and
unemployment, which taught me a lot about interviewing and leveraging my skills to land a job.
Fast forward to 2025: I was hired as a computational chemist for agrochemical discovery and my wife started a consulting company that offers freelance chemistry support and education. Our passion involves helping others navigate all the ups and downs that come during the pursuit of a scientific career, providing encouragement and wisdom gained from years of struggle.
Scientific research is not always glamorous but every once in a while, amidst the tedium and frustration of everyday life, extraordinary things happen. A sliver of truth no one else in the world has seen before, a result that challenges an old assumption, a breakthrough with the potential to one day improve someone’s life. Those moments make the grind worthwhile.
Thank you for being here! I’d like to hear from you about your experiences and any questions you may have. I try to answer all e-mails in a timely manner. I appreciate you taking the time to read my story.