I grew up in the high plains of the Oklahoma panhandle—the epicenter of the Dust Bowl. That semi-arid agriwilderness shaped my early awareness of how profoundly human choices affect ecosystems, especially in fragile, water-scarce landscapes. I became a scientist to understand those systems, then a science communicator to help others do the same. My work spans microbiology, climate resilience, and public engagement, and I’ve spent the last decade helping scientists, communities, and students build fluency in the language of change. I came to Warren Wilson because it offers something rare: a place where applied climate knowledge is rooted in land, story, and community. Teaching here is an extension of what I most believe—that climate science must be practiced not only in labs and models, but in lived experience, public discourse, and hopeful action.