Dr. Matecha is a passionate educator and mentor with a focus on hands-on and applied learning opportunities for students. They are an aqueous geochemist with particular interest in environmental impacts of the fossil fuel industry and the formation of Appalachian Basin shales. They also are heavily involved in outreach aimed at exposing young girls to STEM fields and female mentors. In their spare time, they foster kittens, volunteer at an animal rescue, wander the woods looking for cool rocks, play the cello, and dabble in pottery and painting. They are happy to have visitors to their office and always have a geology-related puzzle in progress for guests to work on.