Occupation: Graduate student in chemical engineering

How I got into bodybuilding: I started lifting primarily to control my weight and because it made me feel good about myself. It was only about a year before the owners of my gym approached me about competing in a show they were putting on. They taught me all the basics of dieting and posing and I have competed every year since.

Competition History:
1998 ANPPC Mississippi Open-Novice Women Short Class 3rd Place
1998 AAU Mr/Mrs Southwest America-Novice Women Medium Class 1st Place and Best Poser
1999 AAU Mr/Mrs Southwest America-Open Women Short Class 1st Place and Best Poser
1999 NGA Texas-Novice Women Short Class 3rd Place
2000 ANPPC Southwest USA Natural Bodybuilding Championships-Novice Women Short Class 3rd Place
2002 NPC Michigan Championships-1st Place Lightweight
2002 NPC Pittsburgh Open-3rd Place Lightweight 2003 NPC Ronnie Coleman Classic-1st Place Middleweight
2003 NPC Pittsburgh Open-1st Place Middleweight and Overall
2003 NPC Lone Star Classic-1st Place Heavyweight and Overall
2003 NPC Jr. Nationals-4th Place Middleweight
2004 NPC Jr. Nationals-5th Place Lightheavyweight

Other interests: I am getting heavily involved in my research now that I have gotten the majority of my coursework out of the way here at Caltech. My focus is on metabolic engineering in yeast, specifically developing inducible promoter systems to control gene expression. The ultimate goal is to be able to synthesize complex molecules (i.e. pharmaceuticals) in yeast and to optimize these pathways for industrial-scale production.

Many of the tools my group develops may have applications in gene therapy which is another exciting opportunity down the road.

I also enjoy hiking, going to museums, taking short road trips, going to the beach, and taking advantage of all there is to do in southern California. When I have a moment to sit at home and relax, I enjoy cross-stitching and watching movies.