Profile

• Time Zone

  Eastern

  
  
• Gender

  Female

  
  
• Organization

  University of Vermont

  
  
• Employment Status

  University / College Staff

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  In the past I have spent time researching Eastern Box Turtles in Ohio and soil dwelling bugs in Hawaii. Now I research how people connect to nature and adopt behaviors that protect nature! I previously explored this idea among people who attend environmental education events and volunteer with environmental organizations in the Lake Erie region. Currently, I'm working with the University of Vermont and the USDA to explore how farmers perceive their soil health and what farm management decisions they make as a result of soil testing.

  
  
• Profile Question 1

  When and why did you decide to go into a science career?

  
  
• Answer the question you selected for profile question 1 here (300 words):

  I've loved science for as long as I can remember, particularly animal science. I loved watching Steve Irwin on TV with his endless enthusiasm and passion for wildlife. I enjoyed every minute of biology class in my k-12 schooling and studying that further in college seemed like an easy choice! I enrolled in an Ecology and Conservation program during my undergraduate career and I dreamed of working at a zoo or protecting species like Jane Goodall did with Chimps. I quickly learned that getting these dream jobs in ecology were rare and I struggled a lot with anxiety around this topic. To help with my anxiousness, someone at my college recommended that I volunteer in a lab to learn other ecology skills. I started working in a lab with a new professor at my university, thinking she would need the most help. She eventually became the most important mentor I have ever had in my career. She pushed me as an undergrad to plan a research project, a rare experience for a young scientist, in Hawaii! I went on to study leaf litter bugs with her for several years and to track Eastern Box Turtles with another scientist that I still work with on other projects to this day. I still don't know what kind of scientist I want to be, but I know I want to offer opportunities to other to try science and hopefully enjoy the journey as much as I have.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  Can you share a funny/interesting lab or field story?

  
  
• Answer the question you selected for profile question 2 here (300 words):

  During my master's work, my field work took place in the tropical rain forest of Hawaii! It sounds like a dream come true to most people but it was actually very challenging. The first thing you should know about the rain forest is that it rains a lot! Leading to many days feeling soggy and having to extensively protect my equipment. The second thing you should know is that these forests are a large number of invasive wild pigs/boars. The boars are large, about 200lbs, and will charge you if provoked, especially the mothers protecting their piglets. On our first day out in the field, we were hiking through a clearing that had knee high grass. We were about half way through the clearing when suddenly something black jumped from the grass squealing loudly. It was a piglet frantically calling for mom to come save it from these two strangers that happened upon it. We quickly ran backward. Having forest on either side of us there was every chance that we placed ourselves in between the baby and the mom, which is the most dangerous situation possible. Luckily, we did not see mom at all and could make our escape through the forest. From then on, I wore jingle bells and carried a whistle to scare away any pigs before we could get in a situation like that again. Even though it annoyed my assistant, I felt much safer with them!

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What was the first science experiment you ever designed? How did it turn out?

  
  
• Answer the question you selected for profile question 3 here (300 words):

  The first science experiment involved my pet hamster. He was losing hair on his bottom and I wanted to know why. I compared his health to my brother's hamster who was not losing hair. After a week of observing him and attempting to change his diet to see if it would help, I realized I had changed his brand of bedding recently. I switched his bedding back to the brand I had used previously and his hair began to grow back. I not only learned a lesson in the scientific method, but I also improved the health of my pet!

  
  
• Availability

  I am currently available for mentoring, please send me team match invitations

  
  
• Preferred Student Level(s)

  Middle School Students (Grades 6,7,8)
  High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12)
  Elementary School Students (5th grade)
  Undergraduate Students

  
  
• Preferred Investigation Themes

  The Wonder of Seeds (seed germination and growth)
  What about Pollen? (pollen and pollination)
  Agronomy Feeds the World (where does food come from?)
  The Power of Sunlight (photosynthesis and respiration)
  Celery Challenge (plant anatomy, osmosis and diffusion)
  C-Fern in the Open (sexual reproduction, alternation of generations)
  Genetics in Arabidopsis (investigation with a model species to track transmission of traits)
  Foundations of Genetics (traits, variation and environment in rapidly cycling Brassica)
  Plants Get Sick, Too!
  Tree-mendous Trees

  
  
• Challenge, ELL, Honors

  Academically Challenged
  Honors or AP - Advanced Placement

  
  
• Videoconference Ability

  Yes

  
  
• Capacity: How many teams at a time are you comfortable working with?

  2

  
  

Recent Posts

24fcalassohpbrhspos project 9 Cari Ritzenthaler 19 hrs

Hey Team! Great hypotheses on why your leaf disks in the dark didn't float! The activity you just completed with the phenol red sounds interesting too! Will you be combining that technique with leaf disks in future experiments?

24fcalassohpbrhspos project 9 Cari Ritzenthaler Oct 11 at 02:15pm

Thanks for updating me about your experiment, team! You mentioned that the leaf disks in the dark did not float as much as the leaf disks in light. Why do you think you got that result?

24fcalassohpbrhspos project 9 Cari Ritzenthaler Oct 11 at 02:13pm

Hi Diana! Glad to have to on the team! I used to skateboard too, but I haven't been able to much lately. Cool that you like to walk on mountains too! Do you have a favorite kind of tree?