Hello! I’m Valerie Gale Zartarian Morrison — a proud mother, retired scientist, and aspiring author from the Boston area whose passions and interests include writing, dancing, volunteering, hiking, traveling, and trying to make a positive impact. I’m deeply grateful for my unique life journey and everyone who has offered friendship and mentoring along the way.
My two children are my most precious gifts and teachers. My daughter has led a heroic complex medical and chronic illness journey since birth (VACTERL Association), including a kidney transplant (#becauseofadonor, #donatelife) and cancer, and currently works in a restaurant and enjoys sports and dogs. My son, a hero in his own right, is currently studying mechanical engineering at college and enjoys rock-climbing and hiking.
I also consider myself a resilient survivor, having come through extraordinary traumas and losses (recounted in my memoir in progress, “Mighty Misfit”) with gratitude and joy. I’m on an evolving spiritual journey, which has included walking three pilgrimages on the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
In 2025 I retired from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after 27+ years of public service. I’m proud of my career as a scientist and engineer that produced research to help protect public health and the environment. I hold a B.S. from Princeton University in Civil Engineering, Water Resources and a Ph.D. and M.S. from Stanford University in Environmental Engineering & Science.
I am now excited to be focusing on my new writing career, and currently working to publish my first novel. I’m a member and volunteer co-coordinator of the Writers in Residence at the Follow Your Art Community Studios in Melrose, MA and a member of the Grub Street Center for Creative Writing in Boston.
In addition, I am a volunteer (and “Wish Mom”) for Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island (the amazing organization that granted my daughter her Disney World wish in 2008) and am exploring ways to inspire and support young women and girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
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