An analytical chemist by training, Vivian is an active research scientist and a seasoned science educator with passions in the liberal arts and international education. Prior to Princeton, Vivian followed the career path of a tenure-track professor in Chemistry at Augsburg University (Minneapolis, MN), teaching in the chemistry curriculum, and leading an active undergraduate research program. Her research expertise lies in the field of environmental nanotoxicology, investigating the fate of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in the environment by probing the molecular impact of ENMs on model organisms, such as bacteria and animal cells. Vivian has been a co-Principal Investigator and a research-theme leader in the multi-institutional research consortium, the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology (NSF-CSN) since 2014. She was the recipient of the Fulbright NAWI Graz Visiting Professorship in the Natural Sciences, taught and conducted research in Austria in 2021. Vivian is passionate about public engagement in environmental sustainability and equity issues, and has developed and taught courses and given public lectures on these topics.

Vivian is a strong advocate for promoting diversity and inclusion in the STEM disciplines, with more than 15 years of experience mentoring underrepresented minority undergraduates through hands-on training in her research lab. She serves on the Wellness Equity and Liberation (WEL) committee in the NSF-CSN, and has been a frequent speaker at various conferences promoting women in science. Vivian has served in many academic leadership roles, including the chair of the Chemistry department and the faculty senate at Augsburg, and in external professional committees. Beyond mentoring her own undergraduate students, she enjoys the role as a research mentor to many graduate students through her NSF-CSN collaborations and at TU-Graz through the Fulbright program.

Vivian spent two formative years in the United World College of Adriatic (UWCAD) in northern Italy, which planted the seeds for her passion in promoting international educational experiences. She received her B.A. degree in Chemistry from Linfield College (OR), and her PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign.  As the Assistant Director in STEM Education in the Council on Science and Technology at Princeton University, Vivian works on developing and implementing interdisciplinary courses, engaging, and collaborating with partners in the sciences, engineering, fine arts, and humanities to build cross-disciplinary programs to enrich students learning experience at Princeton and beyond.