Kayla Coldsnow, Ph.D.

I am from a small town in Ohio that's made up of corn fields, farms, and woods. When I wasn't watching Bill Nye or the Crocodile Hunter, I was playing outside, fishing, and studying the world around me. As a kid, I would walk to the nearby creek and pretend I was a herpetologist catching snakes, frogs, and anything else I could get into my butterfly net. This continued until I got a job at the local family-run pet store. There, I spent as much time as I could learning every species, from saltwater fish to lizards.

My upbringing instilled three things in me: hard work, a love of science, and a love of nature. My parents always expected good behavior and good grades from me. By middle school, this became a rule I followed for myself, as well as for my parents because I could see the benefits and future those behaviors would bring. My parents also  took me on educational, fun, and nature filled vacations. All of these life experiences greatly influenced my career decisions.

In May 2020, I completed my Ph.D. in Biology where I researched aquatic ecosystems and spent a large part of my time working with the public. These experiences made me realize how much I love investigating the environment and the effects of humans, but also communicating science to the public and educating the next generation of scientists.