Profile

• Time Zone

  Mountain

  
  
• Gender

  Female

  
  
• Organization

  University of Alberta

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  I use DNA and computational biology to answer questions about forest health.

  
  
• Which of the following best describes your career stage?

  Postdoctoral Researcher

  
  
• Profile Question 1

  Do you have advice for students about preparing for a science career?

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

  Scientists wear many hats. You need to be creative, have good writing skills, and the more you know about computers the better! This makes a liberal arts education important for your development as a scientist. Take classes from all disciplines - you'll be surprised at how applicable your English and art classes will be later when writing manuscripts.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is best about being a scientist?

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

  The best thing about being a scientist is that you are always learning. New information becomes available everyday. Reading about other scientists work helps you do your job better and can keep you passionate about your own work.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  Can you describe your attitude toward science when you were in high school?

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

  My high school, Tonasket High School in Washington state, had amazing science teachers. I wouldn't be a scientist today if they were not passionate about teaching and trying new things. I took AP classes in genetics, anatomy and physiology, and even an introductory level applied biology class. Each had fun projects including dissections, breeding fruit flies, and making mayonnaise to learn about emulsions and chemistry. Each of these courses taught me that learning new things through experimentation can be challenging and fun at the same time.

  
  
• Help represent the outreach efforts of your societies. Please click all those organizations you are a member of:

  American Society of Plant Taxonomists
  Botanical Society of America
  Society of Systematic Biologists

  
  
• Availability

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

  
  
• Preferred Student Level(s)

  Middle School Students (Grades 6,7,8)
  Elementary School Students (5th grade)

  
  
• Preferred Investigation Themes

  Plants Get Sick, Too!
  What about Pollen? (pollen and pollination)
  Foundations of Genetics (traits, variation and environment in rapidly cycling Brassica)

  
  
• Challenge, ELL, Honors

  Academically Challenged
  ELL - English language learners
  Honors or AP - Advanced Placement

  
  
• In addition to English, I am comfortable communicating with students in the following languages:

  None of the Above

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

  1

  
  

Recent Posts

6a4 Carbon Trioxide Rhiannon Michele Peery Apr 19 at 08:55am

Guile,

It was amazing to work with your group! I hope you had fun while learning about experimental design and carrying out a research project!

Best,

Rhiannon

6a4 Carbon Trioxide Rhiannon Michele Peery Apr 19 at 08:54am

Abby,

It was my pleasure to work with your group! I'm glad you had fun with your experiment. Your ideas for improving your growth conditions are really good. It would create an environment with fewer variables that could influence your…

more

Abby,

It was my pleasure to work with your group! I'm glad you had fun with your experiment. Your ideas for improving your growth conditions are really good. It would create an environment with fewer variables that could influence your results.

Your question about different species of seeds is a great one. Sometimes plants like to grow together and sometimes they excrete chemicals to make all the other plants near them die. So it would depend on the species you were mixing!

Best,

Rhiannon

6a4 Carbon Trioxide Rhiannon Michele Peery Apr 12 at 10:31am

Do any of you have any final questions for me about seeds or being a plant biologist?