Profile

• Time Zone

  Pacific

  
  
• Organization

  California State University - Fresno

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  As we interact virtually for the foreseeable future, I am interested in designing learning experiences that support continuous student interest in the environment and natural world that are relevant to their own lives. My research attempts to understand how virtual science learning field trips change student perceptions of their role in the natural world and environment.

  
  
• 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):

  My passion for ecology can be traced back to my first biology college course, where a field trip to the Mojave Desert taught me that there were infinite questions to be asked in ecological research. I found an insect gall on a creosote bush (a desert plant) and became mesmerized when my professor told me what an insect gall was. An insect gall looks like a bump or growth on a plant that forms as a plant's reaction to an insect eating a part of it or laying eggs inside it. I realized then that ecology was so cool. It helps you learn about the complex lives of living things, and I hope to share this passion with you. Ever since then I have worked to build my skills in experimental design and scientific writing by practicing setting up my own research experiments. Most recently, I am beginning work as a graduate student pursuing a M.S. in Biology at Fresno State.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

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

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

  I enjoyed science in my high school years, but I had no idea that I would become a scientist. My dad pushed me to study biology in college thinking that it would be good for me to go into the medical field, but I fell in love with ecology instead. There are many sides to biology! It is definitely okay to become excited by many things, and in fact, I think it's a good thing because that means you have a curious mind. I was unsure of what I was going to do or study when I was in high school. You definitely don't have to figure it out all by then. Any passing interest in science can become more meaningful in unexpected ways. The most important thing is to keep an open mind about how you can invite science into your life.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What is best about being a scientist?

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

  For me, being a scientist means that you have the opportunity to include an essential skill for happiness into your life, called savoring. Savoring is when you try to fully enjoy and extend our positive experiences. You can practice savoring in almost any profession in life, but when you practice it in science, it is incredible. For example, I like to study nature, and it's an awesome way to prolong the feeling of admiring why life is the way it is. You get to fully enjoy watching the landscape, and then spend time finding out why certain things happen. You can pay special close attention to almost anything you want, and then study it. For example, say you find a plant or animal that you think is beautiful. You can find out why certain plants or animals are a certain color, or why they look the way they do. It's a great way to stay curious. Also, being a scientist means that you get to meet some of the coolest people out there.

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

  1

  
  

Recent Posts

Soybean Squad Tilly M Duong Mar 22, 2021

Hello soybean squad! Or shall I say spinach squad?

I took a look at your project proposal, and I'm impressed! I wanted to check in with our project progress at this time, since I have been out of the loop for a little while- I do apologize!…

more

Hello soybean squad! Or shall I say spinach squad?

I took a look at your project proposal, and I'm impressed! I wanted to check in with our project progress at this time, since I have been out of the loop for a little while- I do apologize! In your project proposal, I noticed that your initial plan was to work with spinach seeds, although our group name on this page is soybean squad. What's our official name? 

How have the seeds grown? Did the seeds continue to grow after your pH treatments? Are there any questions you may have had about the results? I realize you may already be in the stage of analyzing results, or even wrapping up the project, so let me know if anything is unclear. 

Best, 
---Tilly

The Crazy Noble Tigers Tilly M Duong Mar 22, 2021

Hello group!

I know it has been awhile since I've last checked in with you all, but how are we all doing on our project? If you would like to share how we are doing personally as well, I would love to hear more about how your days have been…

more

Hello group!

I know it has been awhile since I've last checked in with you all, but how are we all doing on our project? If you would like to share how we are doing personally as well, I would love to hear more about how your days have been going. 

I know you must be very busy with school work, so I appreciate any updates. I'm also curious to what you observed with your plants and their growth!

Thanks,
---Tilly

The Crazy Noble Tigers Tilly M Duong Mar 11, 2021

Hello group!

Thank you Isaac, for uploading the research proposal for the team! I am impressed with how many elements you included in the document, and organized it by identifying your independent and dependent variables, materials, controls, and…

more

Hello group!

Thank you Isaac, for uploading the research proposal for the team! I am impressed with how many elements you included in the document, and organized it by identifying your independent and dependent variables, materials, controls, and a hypothesis too! This is looking great! I apologize for not speaking sooner with you all-my research project has been picking up the pace at the same time as your project, so we're both doing science! In good news, I've just recently got my first dose of the vaccine and I'm glad to report that I'm doing fine and dandy.

Have we decided what plant or seed we are going to be working with? Also, I'm impressed with all the soil types you are planning to work with! I was curious, how do you differentiate between dirt and soil? Let me know how you are planning to obtain sand and clay soils too! Depending on the soils near you, it might be not to hard to find sand and clay, but otherwise you may need to look for "amendments" or additions that you can add to soil at a gardening store like Home depot, Lowes, or another home improvement store.

I know that it can be a burden to have to buy supplies though, so I encourage you to look around your local area. Do we have any other questions, successes, or challenges you have had about your project so far?

Let me know!

Thanks,
--Tilly