My scientific career started with the completion of a BS degree in Environmental Sciences, where I obtained a fundamental understanding of 1) the interactions among physical, chemical, and biological processes, 2) their socio-economical and legal aspects, and 3) their application to environmental quality, planning, and sustainability. I then completed my PhD in Chemistry from Purdue University. For my doctoral research I developed new theoretical foundations and experimental methods to measure gas-phase kinetics, thermodynamics, reaction mechanisms, and spectroscopy of species relevant to the Earth’s atmosphere and high-temperature oxidation environments. After completing my PhD in 2006, I went to the National Institute of Standards and Technology under a National Research Council Associateship to work as an experimentalist. I spent most of my career at NIST investigating the thermal and kinetic stability of organic molecules, the main constituents of transportation fuels (petroleum based and biofuels). After eight years as a principal investigator, I had the opportunity to teach Chemistry at the College level. Last, I had the privilege to become an AAAS S&T Policy Fellow, doing International S&T policy for the U.S. Department of Energy-Office of Science.