1. What is your career history and how has it led to your current role?

I received a Bachelor's Degree in environmental science at Ferrum College and a Master’s Degree in biology from Virginia Tech. I got started in nanotechnology, environmental health, and safety working at Luna Innovations, where I developed an environmental technologies group focused on protecting the environment and human health. In 2007, I started my company NanoSafe while working on a Ph.D. at Virginia Tech in Civil and Environmental Engineering. NanoSafe has been going ever since, and I finished my Ph.D. in 2011. Since 2011, I have been working full-time at Virginia Tech at the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science. When designing the PHRE mobile application, we used a framework I developed years ago, called the NanoSafe framework. We organized the different safety issues that a company will face during the pandemic and we populated those general areas with publicly available health information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Virginia Department of Health, and the local health district.

2. What was the best advice you ever received?

I was inspired by my parents and role models to create time to rest and recharge and to live a life of moderation. As I've gotten older, I’ve realized how important it is to take time away from work. Some of my best ideas come when spending time away from the desk. As we take on more responsibilities, the thinking is to hunker down in front of the computer and power through emails and tasks. But at some point, you've got to step back and assess the meaning behind the things that you're doing. Are you doing them well and can you think about them deeply? That often requires disengaging.

3. What was the inspiration behind the PHRE tool?

The inspiration behind the tool came from my experience as an entrepreneur and my experience as a consumer. Early on in the pandemic, when we went to order locally from restaurants, it wasn’t clear what we needed to do to comply with COVID-19 guidance. The standard of COVID-19 protection varied from place to place. As a consumer that was a frustration on my part, and it’s important that as we reopen the economy, customers feel safe when shopping and going out to eat. On the flip side, as an entrepreneur, it's enormously difficult for me to juggle all the tasks I have to do. The PHRE mobile app was meant to streamline the process and provide an entrepreneur with something simple they can use, while they're in the parent pickup line at school, for example. They can see where they're doing well and how they can improve their COVID-19 risk mitigation measures.

4. What have you enjoyed most about being involved in the GO Virginia program and working on the PHRE tool?

My favorite part is trying to make something that solves an immediate problem. I enjoy working toward a solution and being able to make an impact.

5. The project focuses on both technology and entrepreneurship. What role does new technology play in entrepreneurship and why is it important for entrepreneurs to utilize new technologies?

It comes down to time savings and accuracy. There are so many aspects of running a business that technology can make easier. QuickBooks, for example, was a wonderful innovation and has allowed a lot of small companies to stay on top of their finances. Technology is vital to an entrepreneur. It allows them to punch above their weight and also helps them stay on top of the many tasks they have to complete to keep the business running.

6. What is your favorite app that has been most useful to you and your business?

TripIt is one of the apps I use the most and I love it. You email your hotel and flight confirmations to the TripIt app, and TripIt automatically creates a travel itinerary for you. I used to struggle with that, so TripIt has been a huge time saver for me.

7. What are some of the ways you would like to explore nanotechnology in the future?Are there any inventions you would be interested in developing?

I feel there’s a role that nano can play in addressing issues such as CO2 sequestration and global climate change. When we started our company NanoSafe, we were focused on nanosafety, and while we still are addressing that topic, we've also started to focus on using nano for sustainability.

8. What advice would you give to someone interested in getting into the technology field?

The first thing I'd do is tell them to reach out to NanoEarth at Virginia Tech. That's where I am based, and we have an NSF-funded center that's specifically focused on engaging people in nano, in the context of the environment. Nano is all around us, in the dirt, air, and water. We're also very blessed in our region to have the Corporate Research Center, where we have our Nanoscale Characterization and Fabrication lab. During the Game Changer week, we hope to have an event there that raises awareness of what's happening at that facility.

9. Where would you most like to travel?

One of the first ones that come to mind is Cassis, France. It's an absolutely beautiful place. I went there with my Ph.D. advisor at one point when I was doing an internship in France. I'd also like to go to Japan and Greece.

10. What books do you like reading? Is there a book you read recently that you would recommend?

The books I like to read help me think about how I can take practical steps to make life a little easier and more fulfilling. Some of the books I’ve enjoyed include A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload by Cal Newport, Thank You For Being Late by Thomas Friedman, Your Brain at Work by David Rock, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain, and Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell.