Ruthanne Hassey Paradise, Ph.D., serves as the Director of Physical, Instrumental, and Analytical Laboratory Instruction for the Chemistry department at UMass Amherst. Encouraging underrepresented groups to pursue STEM careers in all fields is of profound importance to her. To that end, Ruthanne has worked with teenagers, and has started to develop a curriculum for kindergartners. Apart from her academic pursuits, Dr. Paradise is a seasoned athlete who has engaged in a variety of sports throughout her life, including swimming, volleyball, track and field, and weight lifting. In the last four years, she has channeled her athletic prowess into martial arts, focusing her energy on jiu-jitsu, MMA, and kickboxing. When teaching jiu-jitsu to children, Dr. Paradise believes in fostering an environment where young learners can freely try out new things and grow.