A true biologist from an early age, Mariya once spent a whole summer burying and eulogizing found bug carcasses with her impressionable friend, Susan. When the back yard was cleared of carcasses the game quickly turned to bug murder and then sobbing to Susan's mom about bug murder. It was then that Mariya swore to use her love of science only for the powers of good. 22 years after The Summer of Dead Bugs she moved from Seattle, Washington to Birmingham, Alabama for the purposes of obtaining a Ph.D. in Cell Biology. When pressed, Mariya will admit that this was a dubious life decision. "I grew up without a television" she is fond of pointing out. Today Mariya is finally nearing the end of her bumpy (and probably futile) road to a doctorate. She lives in Alabama with her two lizards, Eddie Lizard and Chantall. In her spare time she cooks, hangs out at her neighborhood bar and happily, watches lots of crappy T.V.