biography

I’m an emerging dance artist and polymer scientist based in Cleveland, OH, and New York City, NY. I grew up in Erie, PA where I started as a renaissance man, trying out everything from conducting, playing the flute, running, soccer, engineering design, organic chemistry, mathematics, tap dance, and even some musical theatre.

I’m a graduate of multiple degrees at Case Western Reserve University. I found my niche at CWRU and thrived at studying multiple fields. I earned my BS in polymer science & engineering (biomaterials) in 2021 with minors in biomedical engineering and mathematics, culminating with a final capstone research project in the recycling of complex, highly multilayered packaging materials. I also earned my BA in dance in 2021, presenting my multimedia solo Entropy with self-composed music before graduation. The following year, in 2022, I earned my MS in macromolecular science & engineering under Dr. Horst von Recum. My thesis comprised two years of research on the drug delivery of rifampicin utilizing cyclodextrin microparticles in silicone transdermal patches. Most recently, I earned my MFA in contemporary dance in 2024, studying under Karen Potter and Gary Galbraith. My creative studies concluded with a 60-minute length thesis concert, with my cohort member Chengyao Zhou, entitled Vitromer.

Outside of my academic ventures, I’ve been fortunate to author a few scientific papers; present locally and internationally on the use of Hololens as a tool for Dance Kinesiology; teach across Northeast Ohio; train professionally with Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, Jon Lehrer Dance Company, Mark Morris Dance Group, Limon Dance Company, Yin Yue Dance Company, and Inlet Dance Theatre; earn grants for creative work; receive numerous awards for choreography; and work professionally in manufacturing.

I dream of combining my interests into a cohesive, integrated career. Again and again, I continue to find that the most exciting things and opportunities I’ve had occur when I apply the creativity and uniqueness discovered through dance-making and performance to the problem-solving mindset in engineering. It’s satisfying to investigate problems with everyday items we take for granted, choreograph a new project, or discover something new in the lab.

Currently, I’m completing a Ph.D. in Macromolecular Science & Engineering at CWRU under the direction of Dr. Gary Wnek. My current research concerns utilizing processing techniques in forced assembly coextrusion to create high-performance polyolefin fibers. Additionally, I recently became an apprentice with Inlet Dance Company for the 2024-2025 season in Cleveland.

Photo by Gavin Kiener