Since discovering diatoms while conducting an undergraduate research project, diatoms and the diatom research community have been important to my career. Currently, I work at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development providing scientific support related to biological assessments and nutrient criteria. I am working to re-establish scientific confidence in diatoms as powerful indicators by improving taxonomic consistency and serving as Chair of the Diatom Taxonomic Certification Committee. I also co-instruct the Ecology and Systematics of Diatoms course at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory.