Kristina Pawlikowski is an engineer by trade, with decades of (totally legitimate) scientific research. Her technical publications are archived in various international journals and government repositories¹. She holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, where she developed a deep love of the natural world while exploring the origins of catastrophic failure². After retiring from full-time engineering in 2021, Kristina pivoted her expertise to one of her first loves, MG/YA fiction woven with threads of government conspiracy and rogue science. An active musician, Kristina performs locally as a concert flutist and jazz saxophonist. When she’s not out trekking the multiverse in her tinfoil hat, she resides in Ohio with kids and cats³.