Profile

• Time Zone

  Central

  
  
• Organization

  University of Missouri - St. Louis

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  I am interested in the many ways animals, especially ants, interact with plants. I am most interested in cases where both the plant and ant can benefit, such as seed dispersal and cases where ants act as guardians for plants that provide food and shelter to the ants.

  
  
• Profile Question 1

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

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

  You probably know that many flowers have nectar, but some plants also have other organs on their leaves or stems that also secrete sugary nectar. Ants are attracted to this sweet non-floral nectar, and will often protect these nectaries and the rest of the plant from herbivores, thereby benefitting the plant. Many different combinations of ant and plant species perform variations of this same relationship!

  
  
• 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 didn't think science was an option for me in high school—which is rather funny, given that AP Environmental Science was my favorite course in high school! But everyone I knew who was interested in biology wanted to go into medicine, and so it didn't seem like there were any other options. Only thanks to some great botany and ecology mentors in college was I able to see myself as a scientist.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

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

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

  I used to think that science was a solid, dusty foundation of facts, but I have since learned that science is fluid, changing, and ever-evolving. As much as we learn about the world around us, there is always more to learn, which I find to be a reassuring thought because it means things will always be novelty and something to keep me occupied.

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

  (not set)

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

  2