Profile

• Time Zone

  Eastern

  
  
• Organization

  University of Wisconsin - River Falls

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  I am interested in invasive plant species. I am studying how we can prevent non-native species from invading native plant communities. It's important to understand how non-native species interact with native plants and animals. When we understand these interactions we can attempt to manage the non-native plants with fewer synthetic pesticides to protect human and ecosystem health.

  
  
• 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):

  When I was in 10th grade, I had an amazing biology teacher, Mr. Kaufman, that was so passionate about the natural world. He really opened my eyes about nature and how life works. I left his class a very curious naturalist and I wanted to learn how everything works. I loved to climb trees when I was a kid, and I remember watching the ants climbing the pine trees. I always wondered why ants were in the trees. Because of Mr. Kaufman's class, I sat and observed the ants for hours. I discovered that they were actually climbing the trees to get food.
  
  I also loved gardening with my grandmother. The greatest day I can remember was when she gave me a little chunk of her garden for me to grow whatever I wanted. I planted flower seeds and veggies. I also dug up little tree seedlings that I found in the woods to plant in my garden. Those trees are still there 25 years later!

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is your favorite plant? Why?

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

  My favorite plant is Indian cucumber-root, Medeola virginiana. It's a member of the lily family that has green flowers. I learned about it in Dr. Adam's field biology class when I was in college. It's the first wild plant I ever tasted (other than raspberries). The roots actually taste like cucumbers! It's not very common in the Adirondack Mountains where I grew up, so I get really excited when I see it.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What is the coolest thing you have discovered or learned about plants?

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

  The coolest thing I learned about plants is how important they are for most of the organisms on our planet. With the exception of deep sea creatures near thermal vents, all the energy in food chains comes from the sun, and the carbon that builds life comes from the air... Plants are needed to capture them! Plants take the sun's energy, carbon from the atmosphere, and water from the ground and make sugar with them... The carbon in people came from the air, and it was plants that took the carbon from the air and made it into sugar, which we eat and use to grow. Amazing!

  
  
• Availability

  I am NOT available, please temporarily remove me from the available mentor list

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

  2

  
  

Recent Posts

Alpha Omega Lava Hounds Kevyn J Juneau Apr 25, 2017

That's interesting. Do you have any thoughts as to why that may be happening? I assume that you kept all the treatments exactly the same except for the amount of fert. they were given? What was the amount of fert. that you gave the plants?…

more

That's interesting. Do you have any thoughts as to why that may be happening? I assume that you kept all the treatments exactly the same except for the amount of fert. they were given? What was the amount of fert. that you gave the plants? I wonder if you gave them too much and that lead to reduced germination.

Alpha Omega Lava Hounds Kevyn J Juneau Apr 19, 2017

Hi Folks,

Any new updates? 

Alpha Omega Lava Hounds Kevyn J Juneau Apr 7, 2017

Hi Team,

Looks like you're rolling along. You mention that your prediction is wrong. What leads you to believe that your predictions are wrong? What are you measuring? Have you made a graph of the variable (height?) that you're…

more

Hi Team,

Looks like you're rolling along. You mention that your prediction is wrong. What leads you to believe that your predictions are wrong? What are you measuring? Have you made a graph of the variable (height?) that you're measuring? 

What are the treatments that you're looking at? 

Keep up the great work!