A member of the Hamilton College faculty since 1986, Garrett earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry and biophysics at Texas A & M University. Specializing in the molecular genetics of yeast and microbial metagenomics, with interests in the ethical and social issues associated with genetic research, she has published articles for the Journal of Bacteriology, Journal of Cell Biology, and Journal of General Microbiology. She has been awarded grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and several private foundations. She is currently investigating the diversity of microbial life in Green Lake: an unusual stratified (meromictic) lake located just outside Fayetteville, NY.