Dr. Michelle L. Hutchings received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Florida and her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Yale University. As a graduate student, she worked in the laboratory of Provost Scott Strobel and studied the ability of a group of endophytes (microorganisms that live inside plant tissues) to kill or inhibit pathogens using toxic gases, with possible applications in biofumigation. She was also involved in running the Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory class ,which was a student-directed, inquiry-based learning course that brought undergraduate students down to the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador to collect plant samples and study the unique endophytes living inside them. Michelle also took a gap year to build hiking trails and teach environmental education with the Student Conservation Association in Massachusetts.
After graduating, Dr. Hutchings remained at Yale to work for a program called Yale Young Global Scholars, which organizes twelve 2-week summer sessions for ~2,500 high school students from around the world. She held several different roles at YYGS, including serving as the STEM Program Manager and Associate Director of Academic Affairs.
Ph.D. in Chemistry from Yale University
M.S. in Chemistry from Yale University
B.S. in Chemistry from University of Florida