Katherine Holmes
Profile
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Time ZoneEastern
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OrganizationCornell University
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RoleScientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online
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Research Interests (300 words)I am interested in plant-insect interactions in natural communities, and how the ecology and evolution of these interactions is mediated by plant defensive chemistry.
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Profile Question 1When and why did you decide to go into a science career?
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Answer the question you selected for profile question 1 here (300 words):I majored in Zoology and English in my undergraduate program, and I loved them both! I could happily study poetry all day - I think detailed critical thinking drives my fascination with both fields - but I decided that I wanted a career where I could continuously learn about the world around me, and create "new" knowledge to help others do the same.
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Profile Question 2What is a typical day like for you?
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Answer the question you selected for profile question 2 here (300 words):During the summer, I'm outside or in the greenhouse all day! I'll be surveying plants for the insects that live on them out in their natural environment, or planting seeds to grow up for experiments, or rearing (taking care of) the insect herbivores or predators that visit those plants.
During the Fall and Spring semesters, I enter my data, analyze it using statistical programs, and process samples of leaves, floral nectar, etc. to find out which chemical compounds are inside them.
I also teach! I am currently teaching a field ecology class with my advisor, which is great because it keeps me outside and exploring the areas around our university. And like all graduate students, I come up with project proposals to show the faculty who advise me, and submit those proposals for funding to different agencies. I may be working on any one of these things on a given day.
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Profile Question 3What is the coolest thing you have discovered or learned about plants?
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Answer the question you selected for profile question 3 here (300 words):Before I applied to my current PhD program, I had no idea how important chemistry was to the interactions between plants and insects in communities all over the world. Plants use chemicals to "talk" to each other about different stressors, to make themselves toxic to insect herbivores, and to attract predators of those herbivores to protect themselves.
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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?2
Recent Posts
Monk Team 4
Katherine Holmes
Hi Micah, Amy, and Ethan,
Thanks for the project updates! Those microscope photos are great. I'm not too surprised that your covered ferns didn't survive; almost all plants require light to photosynthesize and create carbon, or "body…
more
NFA Courtsunis Team 4
Katherine Holmes
Hi Rachel and AnnMarie,
I think the results from Trial 2 and 3 are pretty clear; leaf disks rose faster with increasing temperatures. Trial 1 is different in that only one leaf disk rose in the "hot" treatment. I'm inclined to think…
more
Monk Team 4
Katherine Holmes
Hi Team 4!
I just wanted to check in and see how your project is going - I heard you had greenhouse issues? Unfortunately, the first step in research projects is often just getting the mechanics to work. If you are back at it, I'm…
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