About
Nice to meet you - I'm Sierra
I currently live in Dallas, Texas with my husband, Jesse.
I have over 5 years of professional experience, and have done everything from biotech research to building project and data management systems.
I'm looking for remote or Dallas-based roles. I love startups, tech, biotech, and women's health, and am passionate about data integrity and documentation.
Education
B.S. Biological Engineering
Utah State University | May 2021
Emphasis in Synthetic Biology | Minor in Entrepreneurship | Undergraduate Research Fellow
Graduated summa cum laude, with Honors
| 3.97 GPA
Engineer in Training (EIT) Certification
Fundamentals of Engineering Exam - Other Disciplines | September 2020
Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA)
SolidWorks CAD Design Associate Exam | October 2018
Project Management Certifications
Lean Yellow Belt | October 2024
Six Sigma White Belt | October 2024
Certification verifications can be seen here.
Work History
Sound Agriculture (Startup) | June 2021 - April 2024
Process Engineer | Remote | July 2022 - April 2024
- Designed and implemented a Smartsheet- and Asana-based project management system, enabling a 10x scale up of research operations from 4 to 40+ concurrent experiments without incurring new software costs.
- Created automated Google Sheets templates to standardize data collection across 250+ experiments, allowing for meta-analysis of data across experiments to guide research strategy and avoid wasteful experiments.
- Led the Agile-based implementation of a new ELN/LIMS, writing a 200+ page user manual and providing 50+ hours of training to transition 30+ cross-functional staff to a data tracking system compliant with investor expectations.
- Developed custom dashboards to track and report 10 KPIs, enabling staff, leadership, and board members to easily monitor research operations trends over 20 months.
- Role was eliminated due to a company-wide restructure (not performance-based). Letter of Recommendation from manager
Research Associate | Emeryville, CA | June 2021 - July 2022
- Led efforts to track and analyze RNA quantification data across experiments, improving sample preparation and reducing sample loss by up to 75% across 10+ sample types for Sound’s molecular screening pipeline.
- Designed and executed experiments within budget to alter trait expression in 7+ crop types, collaborating with Sound’s internal research team and 3+ external partners to support genetic research and product development.
- Proactively identified operational inefficiencies and presented a strategic plan to streamline operations, prompting Research management to create the company’s first and only Process Engineer role.
Quansys Biosciences | February 2019 - May 2021
Research and Development Technician | Logan, UT
- Supported the setup and use of a CLIA Clinical Lab, obtaining an FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), and developing a COVID-19 antibody assay, contributing to the company’s rapid response during the pandemic.
- Led compliance initiatives, including implementing and training staff on a new Quality Management System (QMS), to ensure compliance with GLP, GMP, ISO 13485, and ISO 9001, achieving 2 successful company audits.
- Managed the development of 12+ multiplexed Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISAs) for 6+ customers, validating performance of up to 13 biomarkers per assay against internal QC standards and customer requirements.
Areas of Expertise
Project & Operations Management
- Smartsheet
- Asana
- Project Planning
- KPI Tracking
- Technical Documentation
- Agile, Lean, and Six Sigma
- Stakeholder Communication
- Resource Allocation
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Teams
- Slack
Data Science & Automation
- Git & Github
- SQL
- Basic R
- APIs
- Python Scripting
- Python Notebooks
- Python for Data Analysis
- Advanced Excel and Google Sheets
- Web Development
(About this website)
- Docker
- GraphPad Prism
- JMP
- Basic AWS
Lab & Instrumentation
- Technical Documentation
- SOP Writing
- Lab Management
- Aseptic Technique
- Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN)
- Lab Information Management Systems (LIMS)
- Quality Control (GLP, GMP)
- ISO Compliance
- Solidworkds/CAD
- Assay Development & QC
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISAs)
- Lab Automation
Undergraduate Research
Senior Design Project | Dr. David Britt and Fresenius Medical Care
January 2020 - May 2021
- Worked as a key member of a team developing a self-disinfecting surface to aid in bacterial load reduction in hemodialysis systems
- Completed an accompanying Honors Capstone project focused on Project Management
- Led weekly team meetings
- Led literature review meetings and organized papers
- Managed project timeline
- Communicated project status to stakeholders at Fresenius Medical Care
- Project results can be seen here.
Synthetic Biology Research Lab | Dr. Charles Miller
September 2015 - May 2016 | August 2018 - October 2019
- Assisted in culturing and studying bacteria for bioplastics production
- Analyzed bacterial phenotypes, including measuring optical density and plotting growth curves
- Maintained stocks of antibiotic agar plates
Biomaterials Undergraduate Lab | Dr. Yu Huang
January 2019 - August 2019
- Led a team of students seeking to solubilize anti-inflammatory compounds through nanoparticle synthesis
- Used sonication and lyophilization to create and stabilize curcumin and indigoidine nanoparticles
Hobbies & Interests
Crafts
I love pretty much any craft, but my great-grandma got me hooked on cardmaking. I also love knitting and cross stitch.
Texas State Fair
September 2023
Sourdough
I adopted part of my uncle's sourdough starter and have been culturing it since mid-2023. Favorite recipes include sourdough loaves, pizza, and english muffins.
Travel
Mount Cook
New Zealand, 2022
Milford Sound
New Zealand, 2022
Hobbiton
New Zealand, 2022
Rotorua
New Zealand, 2022
Glenorchy
New Zealand, 2022
Tower Bridge
England, 2023
Harry Potter Studios
England, 2023
Prince's Head Pub
England, 2023
Richmond
England, 2023
Cliffs of Moher
Ireland, 2024
Giant's Causeway
Ireland, 2024
Cahir
Ireland, 2024
Kenmare
Ireland, 2024
Lough Tay
Ireland, 2024
Strategy Games
Favorites include Terraforming Mars, Wingspan, and Ark Nova.
Miscellaneous Interests
Survivor | Doctor Who | Cooking Competitions | Death Cab for Cutie | Bastille | 80s Music
John Green | Annie Dillard | Stardew Valley | Theatre
Fun Facts
- My husband is a mortician. I love the irony of being a life science professional married to a death science professional.
- In middle school my family and I were on The Dog Whisperer. Cesar Milan is a great guy!
- In high school I worked part-time as an assistant casting director, and even cast a body double for Scarlett Johansson.
- I'm a State Fair enthusiast and love entering Fair craft competitions. Growing up, I won quite a few ribbons at the Orange Country Fair for cross stitch, clay sculpting, and cake decorating. In 2023 and 2024 I won blue ribbons at the State Fair of Texas for greeting card making.