Bachelor of science in chemistry from the California State University at Fullerton, 1993; Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of California at Davis, 1997; until her selection she worked at the University of California, Davis; hobbies: Running, weight training, hiking, softball, basketball, auto repair/maintenance, spending time with her family and her dog; as an undergrauate she was a sprinter and longjumper; she is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) and conversational in Spanish and Russian.