About Me
I am currently a chemistry Ph.D. candidate at the University of Florida, a top five public institution. On top of this, I am also pursuing a career in professional racing. Born and raised in north Georgia, I developed a passion for racing and its scientific aspect at an early age. For the last decade, I have been involved in motorsports whether it be through volunteer work or as a driver. My goal is to raise interest in STEM through my passions of science and racing by engaging with local communities and schools.
I found myself mesmerized by the science and engineering behind racing at a young age. To get as close to the action as possible, I became a flagging and communications official with SCCA and IMSA in 2014. After working several years on the side of the track, I wanted to pursue my true passion of being on it. I cut my teeth starting with autocross, and quickly rose through the ranks showing competitive pace immediately.
Within my first year, I was appointed lead novice instructor in my local SCCA region. I began to see the benefits of taking the same analytical approach I did while studying chemistry and physics at the University of North Georgia to improve myself as a driver as I jumped from car to car. Teaching science at UNG during this time not only helped me communicate to others how to become better drivers, but also reinforced my love of communicating fundamental science.
Upon moving to Florida for graduate school and joining the University of Florida as a graduate student in chemistry, I quickly joined the University of Florida’s Formula SAE team, Gator Motorsports. I became the lead driver within the year and brought back a more formal driver development program to help train the next generation of drivers for the team. Under the guidance of those at GMS as well, I was able to expand my knowledge of engineering further, ultimately finding a home building and tuning engines. I also got into competitive karting to continue to sharpen my skills as a driver and have placed strongly in local races, winning enduros and local club races. In FSAE, I placed third in my most recent competition, bringing home the team’s second podium finish in its 30-year history.
Current Goals and Directions
With these results, my long-term objective is to reach racing in IMSA and merge my passions together. As of now, I am wanting to compete in the Spec Miata Racing series as a platform to move up the ladder as suggested by Jeff Andretti. As a professional driver however, I will not forget my routes in science and teaching. Racing is an amazing catalyst to spark interest in science and engineering. It did for me when I was first captivated by the sport at a young age.
As I am in a unique position in being a scientist myself, I offer something different to the motorsport community. I intend to use racing as a platform to raise awareness of STEM outreach programs and engage the community in scientific communication. I will continue working with local schools and communities to accomplish this goal while I progress in racing.
