• By Jacquelyn White
• Posted Friday, March 12, 2021

A Conversation with Jocylin Pierro

Recognizing the achievements of women in all facets of life – science, community, government, literature, art, sports, medicine – has a huge impact on the development of self-respect and new opportunities for girls and young women.

Join us in Zoom or Facebook Live on Wednesday, March 17 at 6 p.m.

REGISTER HERE

Jocylin attended Houghton College in western New York. She majored in sociology and minored in political science, environmental science, and philosophy. Prior experience establishing recycling programs and seeing the effects of pollution in the region of California where she was raised led Jocylin to follow her environmental passions after her undergraduate career. After obtaining her bachelors degree, Jocylin joined the U.S. Peace Corps as a community natural resource advisor in the West African country of Benin for two years. While in the Peace Corps, Jocylin helped a county government with reforestation efforts and waste management techniques.

Jocylin went on to obtain masters degrees in environmental science and public affairs. While pursuing her masters, Jocylin worked on environmental policy at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C. She pursued a doctorate degree in environmental toxicology at Texas Tech University. Jocylin used data from short-term laboratory experiments to develop mathematical models that predict the long-term effects of organic chemicals on sea turtle cells.

In January 2020, Jocylin rejoined the EPA as a computational toxicologist. Her current work focuses on developing virtual human embryo models for computational simulations of toxicological experiments. As a minority and having grown up impoverished, Jocylin especially enjoys sharing science and her story with underrepresented populations. In March 2021, Jocylin will be speaking about these experiences and how her minority and underprivileged background influenced her journey to becoming a scientist.