Profile

• Time Zone

  Eastern

  
  
• Organization

  Florida State University

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  My undergraduate degree was in botany. I am now getting into the field of phylogenetics and plant evolution where I am hoping to study the red mangrove family (Rhizophoraceae). This group is extremely important for biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, and resisting sea level rise. Members of this group also form mutualistic associations with a variety of organisms. At the same time, mangrove forests worldwide are under serious threat due to development and other human impacts. My research aims to shed some light on the members of this under-studied group and to investigate what their evolution, and that of their mutualists may teach us about their future.

  
  
• 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):

  I decided to go into a science career in my second year of college. The more I learned about the natural world, the more fascinated I became with it. I hadn't realized how little we as humans understood about nature, and I decided that my talents could be best put to use within the natural sciences. The mentoring and inspiration I received from my TA's and professors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison further motivated me to continue my path in science.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is your favorite plant? Why?

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

  I often feel like picking a favorite plant is like picking a favorite band. There are so many that are amazing, and sometimes what I am most fascinated with currently can change. Right now, I am fascinated by Rhizophora mangle, one of the red mangroves. I love this plant, because it is home to a number of other organisms, can sequester a lot of carbon, and can disperse its seeds vast distances across the ocean.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What is the coolest thing you have discovered or learned about plants?

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

  My favorite thing to talk to people about regarding plants is mycorrhizae, which are associations between plant roots and fungi. These connections can allow virtually all the trees in a forest to communicate and share resources, while simultaneously shaping the ground that we walk on. Learning about mycorrhizae has changed the way I see forests from just a bunch of trees to an interconnected web of organisms, all communicating and sharing resources.

  
  
• Availability

  I am NOT available, please temporarily remove me from the available mentor list

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

  2

  
  

Recent Posts

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