Jennifer Poo
jenniferpoo867@gmail.com | (408) 621-6638
Dear Study Hall Team,
After just over 7 years in higher education as both a student and educator, I decided to leave academia. The field felt antiquated and rigid in a way that didn’t benefit anyone—student, educator, or researcher. The thing is, I didn’t want to leave academia. Despite my frustrations, I really enjoyed it. I liked working with undergraduates, helping them find the subject that sparks their interest, showing them how to think critically about the questions they ask and how to answer them, and helping them lessen the gap between ‘what I don’t know’ and ‘what isn’t known.’
So, I find myself not quite ready to fully abandon higher education, and, instead, I am focusing my job-hunting efforts on organizations, like Complexly, that do work to lower the barrier to entry for higher education.
Now, the obligatory list of my relevant qualifications and skills:
I won’t bore you with what you can already find on my resume. I have been publishing my writing since 2017. Some of that has been for the general public or with a more casual tone (i.e. my works published with Morning Sign Out at UCI and The Scope), while others have taken on a more technical tone, intended for other scientists. I am most well versed in biology, having just graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Master’s in Cell and Molecular Biology, particularly in subjects pertaining to immunology, microbiology, biochemistry, and genetics, but I am also familiar with college level chemistry, physics, calculus, and statistics.
I pride myself in my ability to synthesize complex information and present it in a clear and concise manner, translating technical jargon into clear, jargon-free language. I am extremely familiar with using G-Suite applications, not just for writing and communication, but also using formulas to display and analyze data, and designing questions for surveys and data collection. I regularly use Adobe Suite and RStudio to create engaging visuals using data, and Zotero and Obsidian to keep my work and research organized. I am also familiar with using HTML/CSS in web/newsletter and graphic design.
I am excited about the opportunity to play a role in educating the next generation of scholars. Many of Complexly’s projects helped me immensely as a high schooler and taught me the value of high quality and easily accessible education. The prospect of working with a talented team of educators and writers is exciting!
My resume is linked above and in my application for your review, which provides further details about my qualifications and accomplishments. I welcome the opportunity to discuss how my skills align with your organization's needs in more detail. Thank you for considering my application.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Poo