Valerie spends far too much time thinking about grammar and imagining a better future, which explains a lot about her love for Star Trek (as well as her disappointment with Hoshi Sato’s character). After finishing a doctorate in Italian Renaissance Literature, she turned her attention to two very important causes: podcasting and attempting to stop Colonel Green from inciting World War III. To help with the latter, she currently works as a clinical social worker in Manhattan and does her best to incorporate Trek wisdom into her therapeutic practice. Unsurprisingly, she scored very highly in compassion and diplomacy on the Kobayashi Maru.​ Valerie is also the co-host of Lower Decks: A Star Trek Podcast as well as the creative mind behind the Instagram account, Plants in Star Trek.