I was born in Ukraine when it was still a part of the former Soviet Union. I immigrated to the United States in 1989 with my family as a young child (6 years old). I Started at Oregon State University in 2003, and completed a bachelors of science in Chemical Engineering in 2006. I returned to Oregon State University for a PhD in Chemical Engineering in 2008. Currently, I am a PhD candidate working under Dr. Alex Yokochi as part of the Laboratory for innovative Reaction Engineering for Materials and Sustainability (iREMS Lab). I am married with a 2-year old daughter; the two people with whom I share my most important moments in life.