Publishing Technology Associate, BioOne
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Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from, and what did you study? Where are you currently based?
I am from Seattle, Washington, and I majored in English with a focus on creative writing at Western Washington University. I currently work for BioOne as their Publishing Technology Associate.
Describe your current role and organization. What are your main responsibilities? What type of organization do you work for?
BioOne is a publishing aggregate focused on biology, ecology, and the environmental sciences. I help maintain the metadata and DOIs for our 120+ journal titles and work closely with our platform provider, SPIE. Recently, my job expanded to assist BioOne’s new eBook collaborations.
Share your journey in scholarly publishing. What was your first role in this field, and how did you land it? What path led you to your current position? What unexpected challenges have you faced?
I started out in SPIE’s Proceedings department. It was fast-paced, but I loved the work. When I decided I wanted a change, Lola Estelle (who now works at EBSCO) suggested I look at the open position at BioOne. Now, I get to work with my wonderful colleagues here at BioOne and people I never had much chance to talk to while in Proceedings. I like to say I got to keep the best parts of my old job with my new one.
Can you share a memorable project, achievement, or pivotal moment in your career development? Was there a defining moment or influential person who shaped your career?
Maybe it’s passé by now, but the shift from in-person to working from home has been life-changing. I’m quite introverted, and while I loved seeing my coworkers daily, working more at my own pace has been nice.
What tools, websites, and organizations are essential for your career growth? How do you stay updated with industry trends and developments?
For the technical aspects, Udemy has a bi-yearly sale that I cannot recommend enough. I’m working on two courses: one for PowerBI and one for Excel. There’s no time limit, which I find to be quite helpful. Also, find someone in your workplace or organization who can champion you and support your personal growth. It doesn’t have to be your manager; it can be a coworker or someone from a different department. The support changes everything, honestly.
Any fun facts or hobbies outside of scholarly communications?
I’m big into Dungeons & Dragons (bard life forever); the dice hoard is becoming a problem. Books are my other big weakness. I’m a fan of queer retellings of fairy tales and classics, myths, and fantasy, especially in the YA sphere.
Career Stage: Mid-level (5-15 years)
Industry Areas: Technology, Publishing
