Julia Chapman
Profile
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OrganizationUniversity of Wisconsin - Stout
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RoleScientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online
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Research Interests (300 words)I study the composition of plant communities: which species are present and how abundant are they? I attempt to explain why certain plants are found together based on environmental variables, such as soil characteristics, light availability, and topography (shape of the land). Most of my research has been done in old-growth forests in Kentucky and Ohio, but now that I live in Wisconsin, I will be studying the ecosystems here!
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Profile Question 1What lessons have you learned in your career about how science works?
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Answer the question you selected for profile question 1 here (300 words):Biology is messy! Your experiments sometimes do not work out as planned, and you may not always get the results you expected. That's okay! Learning to stop worrying about getting the "right" answer and instead making the best of what you have and trying again is very important. Being able to think critically about what you could have done better and how to improve in the future is crucial to moving forward in science.
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Profile Question 2What is the coolest thing you have discovered or learned about plants?
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Answer the question you selected for profile question 2 here (300 words):Some plants are parasitic and some eat insects! The world of plants is very diverse. It's not just a bunch of green! You will be amazed once you get to know and understand our photosynthetic neighbors a little better.
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Profile Question 3What is best about being a scientist?
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Answer the question you selected for profile question 3 here (300 words):I really enjoy having the freedom to study what I like and that I have to challenge myself to learn new things all the time. My work hours are very flexible. I love being able to travel, as well. I normally go to a few conferences a year to present my own research and hear about other people's research. So far, I've been to Portland OR, St. Louis, Baltimore, and Edmonton. Being an ecologist gives me an excuse to be outdoors, too!
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AvailabilityI am NOT available, please temporarily remove me from the available mentor list
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Capacity: How many teams at a time are you comfortable working with?1
Recent Posts
The 1st Class Planters
Julia Chapman
Hey Team! I just wanted to check since I haven't heard from you in a while. How are things going?
The 1st Class Planters
Julia Chapman
Hi Skylar! A population is a group of individuals that live in a common area and have the potential to interact with one another. For plants, those interactions usually relate to competition for resources (light, nutrients, water) and reproduction…
more
The 1st Class Planters
Julia Chapman
Hey Team! My name is Julia, and I teach a variety of courses at the University of Wisconsin-Stout: environmental science & sustainability, conservation biology, and how to make maps and analyze them using some cool software.
My…
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Challenges Student Thinking
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Encouraging
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Experienced
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Knowledgeable
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Responsive