Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, I completed high school at Christian Brothers High School in May 2004. I enrolled in Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee, Florida in the fall of that year. In May 2007, I began working as an undergraduate research assistant in the Advanced Aero-Propulsion Laboratory (AAPL) while studying Mechanical Engineering. I graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from FSU in May 2008. After graduation, I began my doctoral work under the supervision of Prof. Farrukh S. Alvi at Florida State University. During this time, the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion (FCAAP) was established, and my research was completed in the new Aeropropulsion, Mechatronics, and Energy (AME) Research Building. Throughout my graduate career, I have enjoyed conducting research at AAPL and FCAAP as well as being a teaching assistant for many undergraduate students in Mechanical Engineering.

I am currently a Post-Doctoral Research Associate and Adjunct Assistant Professor with Florida State University. My dissertation was on the development of high-frequency supersonic microactuators and the integration of smart materials within those devices. By incorporating active structures, I enabled distinct frequency modulation capabilities as well as active, closed-loop control of the actuator outputs. I received my PhD in August 2015, and I'm currently characterizing the acoustic properties of these actuators and developing high-rep-rate light sources (500 kHz) for the various facilities in the lab. I am also a co-instructor for EML4711 & EML5710 - Gas Dynamics.