Alison came to Alaska by way of New Jersey and California and has spent the last 23 years working all over Alaska as well as in the Middle East, Asia, and Antarctica. Life has presented her with a variety of work opportunities: some paid very well, others not at all, but each has a special place on her resume. Whether sucking sap to make birch syrup or studying microbial gene expression in hydrothermal vent worms, she tries to keep an open mind.