Profile

• Time Zone

  (GMT -10) Hawaii

  
  
• Organization

  Hawai'i Pacific University

  
  
• Employment Status

  University / College Faculty

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  I study baby trees, the future of our forests! I am interested in learning about how different things, like bugs and fungi, affect the small trees growing in forests and how that affects their ability to grow.

  
  
• 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 first exposure to science was watching Scooby Doo and forensic science shows with my mom and grandmother growing up, which made me want to solve mysteries and be a scientist. It wasn't until I got to college that I really understood what it meant to be a scientist and learned about all of the cool things you could research. When I took a class in ecology, I fell in love with plants and all of the interactions that affect them and how that shapes ecosystems, which made me want to study them and share that love of plants with others!

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is best about being a scientist?

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

  The best thing about being a scientist is being able to share my work and joy of science with others. My favorite moments have been running educational programs and seeing the pride of students (and adults) walking away being more informed about the environment and empowered to make a difference. I love using my research as a tool to engage communities in the world of science and show them how important and incredible plants are!

  
  
• 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):

  The coolest thing I have learned about plants was when I recognized that plants technically don't move. They can move their leaves to face the sun during the day, but if a predator or disease comes by they can't migrate or run away. This is particularly interesting because it means that plants have developed a whole range of chemical and physical defenses against enemies, but it also highlights how fragile certain plant populations can be to enemies and their environment.

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

  2

  
  

Recent Posts

loscashmanwosspring2024 project 7 Gina Lee Errico Apr 24 at 12:53pm

Hi Josie,

Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that. It seems like you still got some interesting results, all things considered. How interesting that your sugar and control plants survived the drought! That gives you some cool insights into how these…

more

Hi Josie,

Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that. It seems like you still got some interesting results, all things considered. How interesting that your sugar and control plants survived the drought! That gives you some cool insights into how these treatments may affect your plants during times of drought. Hopefully you can all try again in the future, to potentially get some answers to your original hypothesis! If you get the chance to do so, let me know and I would be more than happy to help.

mhsmirandaaftwspring2024 project 11 Gina Lee Errico Apr 13 at 01:42pm

Hi Ana & team,

You did amazing work! The reports look great, and I am so glad my feedback was helpful. I appreciate your enthusiasm and dedication to the project, you should all be very proud of yourselves! Keep up the great work-- you all…

more

Hi Ana & team,

You did amazing work! The reports look great, and I am so glad my feedback was helpful. I appreciate your enthusiasm and dedication to the project, you should all be very proud of yourselves! Keep up the great work-- you all have a bright future in plant science ahead of you!

All the best,

Gina

group 2 Gina Lee Errico Mar 21 at 03:42pm

Hi team! Just checking in to see how the project is going. I am looking forward to hearing about your final results! Let me know if I can provide any help.