I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Delaware. My research focuses on the formation and movement of metal carboxylates (soaps) in oil paints. I am currently participating in collaborations with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC and Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island. My love of both the arts and chemistry started at a very young age, so naturally, my Ph.D. found a way to combine the two. I think it is imperative that we, as a community, recognize the importance of the arts and the scientific research needed to preserve and protect what we can for future generations!