I am a biology instructor; teaching major and non-major bio courses at DACC, but I have also previously taught at EPCC, UTEP, and TAMUK throughout my educational career. I am also the park manager for the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park in the Dona Ana Mountains which is owned and operated by the non-profit Asombro Institute for Science Education (https://asombro.org/ )based here in Las Cruces. I received a Bachelor's in Science, majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) where I had my first teaching and research experience with many naturalists from paleontology to herpetology and ecology. I also worked at TAMUK’s venom research center (National Natural Toxins Research Center); where I was an animal room technician who took care of and assisted with venom extraction with most of the venomous snake species throughout North America, as well as many exotic species; mainly for biochemical research uses. I then received my Master's in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where I studied the ecological and parasitic effects on parthenogenic whiptail lizards, here in our beautiful Chihuahuan Desert at the UTEP IMRS (Indio Mountains Research Station). I am a Herpetologist by training, but I have always been a naturalist at heart, and enjoy observing and studying all aspects of nature and the environment. I am also currently an educator and tour guide for the El Paso Insights Science Center and regularly give tours at Mt. Cristo Rey, highlighting the cretaceous dinosaur tracks and many other fossils that are preserved there. If you love hiking and guided tours, check out the organization Celebration of Our Mountains(https://www.celebmtns.org/ ), which I am a board member and tour guide for as well, which highlights our local geology and biology through guided hikes in our area.

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