About Me

For the past 8 years, I have been the Lab Coordinator of the Cell Biology labs (201L) in the fall and Genetics and Evolution labs (202L) in the spring. My job involves purchasing, prepping, set-up, and take down of lab materials and equipment each week, along with the recruiting and training of TAs for the labs. My professional background is in plant molecular and cellular biology at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR and WSU, Pullman, WA.

Along with lab coordination, I also am an instructor of 3-4 sections of Cell Biology or Genetics Labs each semester. These labs are required for all Biology majors, usually in their sophmore year, as a pre-requisite for all upper division Biology courses, and are taken in conjunction with the lecture part of the course. Because I teach about half of the lab sections each semester, I get to know most of the Biology majors quite well and encourage them to continue to work with me as TAs for these lab courses.

The connections that I make each year with biology students are amazing, and I hear I have earned the nick name of 'lab mom' by many of their graduations! My door is always open, ready to hear about a challenge in an upper division lab, a problem with a grad school application, or decisions about what classes to take the next semester. As you will learn, if I am not in my office, I am in the Cell Biology/Genetics Lab getting ready for the next 'show', but I almost always have time to listen!

On the home front: Yes, I have been happily married to 'Dr. E' (Ettinger) (also Biology Dept) for over 25 years and we have 2 'big' kids. Our 20 year old son is at University of Portland studying business, and whenever possible he's snowboarding at Mt. Hood. Our daughter is a junior in high school, and is starting to visit NW area small colleges and figure out what she wants to study. We just got back from an amazing summer adventure with GU students in Zambia! It was an experience I had only dreamed of before! ...now reality....off to get ready for the Fall semester to begin in 2 weeks!!!!!