Originally from New York City, Kwasi attended Pasadena High School and Morehouse College. After a few years as an accountant, he decided to be a science educator and enrolled in the California State University, Los Angeles, Charter School of Education to earn a single-subject high school teaching credential in biology. Quickly realizing he wanted a firsthand knowledge of research, Kwasi worked as a lab technician in a marine biology laboratory. This experience led him to enter the master’s program at CSULA, where he completed a thesis project exploring environmental factors that determine growth in the sea mussel Mytilus californianus. Kwasi works in the laboratory of Andy Gracey, assistant professor of biological sciences in USC College, who focuses on using molecular techniques to unravel how marine organisms modify their physiology under stress from their environment or pollution.

Learn more about Kwasi:
view a video featuring Kwasi

visit the Dornsife College marine environmental biology site