Planting Science - Members: View: Sara Ann Johnson

Sara Ann Johnson

Profile

Profile

Time Zone

Central
Organization

University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
Role

Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online
Research Interests (300 words)

I work with rare plants and use mapping, modeling, and field research to help understand how to protect the habitats where they live! Currently, I am a graduate student working with government agencies to better understand the ecology of a rare mint native and endemic to the Florida Panhandle. It lives nowhere else in the world! By understanding what it requires for survival, we can understand why it is so rare and attempt to ensure its survival in the face of land use and climate change. by protecting habitat and managing the habitat where it already survives, we can help buffer this plant species and those that share these areas against some of the changes we see. .
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 school, I always enjoyed science and loved the outdoors, but never knew what a science career would look like. I was told that in order to be successful (ie make money) in science, I would need to go into medicine. When I started my undergraduate degree I was a pre-med student. I enjoyed all my classes and felt the courses were interesting. When I was a Junior, I was given the opportunity to do a field ecology course over the summer in Rocky Mountain National Park. It completely blew my mind that doing field research was a job! I could get paid to be outside and collect data?! This changed the trajectory of my scientific career.
Profile Question 2

What is the coolest thing you have discovered or learned about plants?
Answer the question you selected for profile question 2 here (300 words):

Plants are the basis of life on earth! They take energy from a star we orbit in space and convert it to energy that is used by the creatures of our planet to survive. Once you start looking at each plant as an organism, you find so many interesting connections. I think learning about the interactions between insects and plants in my own backyard has been the most interesting for me and has made me a better steward for the planet.
Profile Question 3

What is tough about being a scientist?
Answer the question you selected for profile question 3 here (300 words):

The toughest part I think is the toughest part about any job. Its not always playing outside! Sometimes, you have to do the tough work, analyzing data and learning difficult coding or new techniques. Sometimes you have to spend lots of time indoors writing or applying for grants. But all in all at the end of the day, if you are passionate about what you do, it is worth it! Also, there can be a lot of competition as there is in any field or a pressure to "achieve" or be super "successful" but those things should be defined by you and what makes you happy.
Capacity: How many teams at a time are you comfortable working with?

1

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