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From a young age, I loved thinking about how tiny and invisible things like proteins, bacteria and the laws of physics could affect humans’ health and disease. I was fascinated by science classes and motivated to pursue higher education and a career as a scientist.

However, that did not feel straightforward. I grew up in Windham, Greene County, and did not have any scientists in my immediate family. My parents run a small breakfast and lunch restaurant. They spent years working in construction and retail to save enough money to start their business, which is now a community institution. Federal science funding has been critical to my ability to see myself as a scientist and advance in the field.

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Now our federal science funding is under threat.

Though my dad didn’t graduate from high school and my mom was a nontraditional college student, my parents always emphasized the importance of education as a path to success and........

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