Dr. Jayme (Badoud ’09) Smith is a senior scientist at the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, a water quality research institute in Costa Mesa, CA. Jayme specializes in the ecology of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and is interested in determining biological, chemical, and physical conditions that are related to the development of HABs in both marine and freshwater systems. Her initial interest in HABs started through her work on bioactive plant secondary metabolites as an undergraduate researcher at Vanguard, where she earned her BS in Biology in 2009.  
 
After working as an animal care rehab volunteer at Pacific Marine Mammal Center, she solidified her interests after learning about domoic acid producing algal blooms–linking her interests in marine ecology and her undergrad project on examining the drivers of plant secondary metabolite production.  
 
In 2018, Jayme earned a PhD in biology at the University of Southern California after studying with Dr. David Caron, examining the environmental drivers of domoic acid producing blooms in the Bight. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and road trips with her husband and two retired racing greyhounds.