Biography
My name is Kerry! I grew up in Portland, OR, but I call Massachusetts home now. Before coming to CSU, I studied at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, where I completed a BS in biochemistry and a BA in music. My main area of research in undergrad was in developing new metallic nanoparticles for medical contrast dyes in the lab of Dr. Emily Tollefson. Also in undergrad, I participated in (and later led) and a cappella group, sang in three other auditioned choirs, and swam varsity for two seasons. After undergrad, I worked at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School as a research associate in the lab of Dr. Lucio Castilla. There, I worked on a polymer nanogel drug delivery system for a difficult-to-treat type of leukemia. Although much of my previous work was nano-chemistry or biochemistry centric, my main area of interest has always been on the environmental effects of plastic decomposition, a passion I discovered during my metabolic biochemistry, physical chemistry, and inorganic chemistry classes in undergrad. I joined the Borch lab in fall of 2023 because of its focus on emerging contaminants, and the tendency for projects to be interdisciplinary in nature. Here, I mainly work on understanding the dynamics of plastic decomposition and additive release in complex matrices like soil. Outside of chemistry, I swim, sing professionally, dance ballet, play guitar, and love to snuggle my cat.
