My name is Nicki Stewart, and I am a chemist! I graduated from the University of Louisiana Monroe in 2022 with a bachelors degree in chemistry, focused in forensic chemistry. I currently attend the University of North Texas and am a graduate student in their chemistry program. After years of study within traditional bench laboratory research, I was ready to branch out and soon began my journey into chemistry education research. While chemistry is where I have found my purpose, my true motivation lies in ensuring students can enjoy the process of learning and understanding chemistry.

I am currently a fourth-year graduate student and recently upgraded to PhD candidate! My current research focuses on burnout and mental health in STEM graduate students, where I hope to understand graduate students’ experiences and help provide support.

I created this website in my second year of graduate school as a way to help me document my accomplishments and challenges, but also as a way to connect with other graduate students. I am a first-generation graduate student and have struggled with navigating the complexities of graduate school. My hopes for this blog are to share real stories and experiences of graduate school to help others not feel alone in the challenges. Eventually, I would like to branch off and make educational videos to help undergraduate students in chemistry courses.