Profile

• Time Zone

  Eastern

  
  
• Organization

  Hope College

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  I study sex and gender in plants. I currently work with a sex-changing maple tree that grows in the eastern United States. Although I love trees I am also curious about mosses, weeds, lichens, and mushrooms.

  
  
• Profile Question 1

  What is best about being a scientist?

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

  I love being able to run around in the woods and investigate questions I think are interesting.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What lessons have you learned in your career about how science works?

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

  I've learned that scientists gradually back towards an answer by ruling out other options. This is very different from how the world talks about science - saying that "scientists have PROVED..." As a scientist I never get to truly prove anything and sometimes it is frustrating. Nevertheless, it is exciting to be part of the process - of having there be "less stuff that we don't understand by a tiny amount."
  (G. Efstathiou)

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  (not set)

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

  (not set)

  
  
• Availability

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

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

  German

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

  2

  
  

Recent Posts

Cade, Chris, Maia Jennifer Blake-Mahmud Mar 27, 2023

Dear Cade, Chris, and Maia,

    What did you decide to do for your experiment? Can you share with me what you are observing?

Jennifer

Caitlin, Katie, Charlotte Jennifer Blake-Mahmud Mar 27, 2023

Dear Charlotte, Caitlin, & Katie,

   How is that suspicious green patch looking two weeks out? Do you think that the mold you see is an important part of your results and something we should look into?

Best,

 …

more

Dear Charlotte, Caitlin, & Katie,

   How is that suspicious green patch looking two weeks out? Do you think that the mold you see is an important part of your results and something we should look into?

Best,

   Jennifer

Caitlin, Katie, Charlotte Jennifer Blake-Mahmud Mar 8, 2023

Hi Caitlin, Katie and Charlotte!  

 My name is Jennifer and I am a botanist. The best thing about being a botanist is that I get to learn neat things about plants and that being outside with my dog counts as work.

I…

more

Hi Caitlin, Katie and Charlotte!  

 My name is Jennifer and I am a botanist. The best thing about being a botanist is that I get to learn neat things about plants and that being outside with my dog counts as work.

I research how plants work and how they reproduce. For the last ten years I've been working on a plant species that can change sex during its lifetime. 

Do you have a favorite plant?  What is it and why do you like it?

Jennifer