Profile

• Time Zone

  Eastern

  
  
• Organization

  Stony Brook University (SUNY)

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  Many organisms have been brought to new places by humans. These are called introduced species. Some of them become highly abundant and widespread in their new habitats, and are called invasive. These organisms are considered problematic because they can harm native species, and/or can be a nuisance for humans. In my research, I am trying to understand why some introduced species become so widespread and dominant, and under what situations do they do so. To do this, I compare the characteristics of invasive plants to those of native and non-invasive introduced plants growing in the same habitats. I can thus identify the ways in which invasive plants differ from local native plants and non-invasive introduced plants.

  
  
• Profile Question 1

  What is best about being a scientist?

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

  As a scientist, not only do you get to learn new things every day, but you also get to make new discoveries! You get to contribute to human knowledge and push the boundaries of what is known about the natural world. If you are a naturally curious person, being a scientist is a great option! You'll never get bored because there will always be new things to learn and new things to discover!

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is tough about being a scientist?

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

  Being a scientist can be very rewarding but it can also be hard at times. For example, you may have to run your experiment multiple times in order to be absolutely sure of your results, and that can get boring. Or your experiment might fail or give you unexpected results. If you are a field scientist (working outdoors), you often have to deal with bad weather, insects and bugs, lack of internet/cellular network etc. But the joy of discovering new things makes it all worth it in the end!

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What is your favorite plant? Why?

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

  My favorite plant is ghost pipe (Monotropa uniflora). It's a parasitic plant species that doesn't have chlorophyll and cannot photosynthesize. It doesn't even look like a typical plant! This plant is my favorite because it is so unique in it's appearance and 'lifestyle'. Instead of photosynthesizing like most plants do, it gets it's nutrients from other plants, through fungi that live on plant roots. It has no leaves and most of the plant is underground, except for the flowers, which are quite unique looking. It is found in most parts of the United States, so you might just see it in your local forests!

  
  
• 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

chschristianposfall2023 project 11 Urmi Poddar Nov 28, 2023

Hi Emma,

I just took a look at your procedure. I think it looks good! I have only one comment, which is that you forgot to mention soil in the list of materials. Good luck with the experiment!

chschristianposfall2023 project 11 Urmi Poddar Nov 27, 2023

Hi Emma,

Sounds like a great idea! Sorry, I am not able to access the Google doc.

Be sure to put in your research question and experimental plan in the project info page!

Urmi

chschristianposfall2023 project 11 Urmi Poddar Nov 14, 2023

Hi Evie,

That is a great idea! One thing to note is that cut flowers might not grow much after they have been cut. But still, you can measure how long they take to wilt. Another possibility is that you can put whole plants (with roots) in these…

more

Hi Evie,

That is a great idea! One thing to note is that cut flowers might not grow much after they have been cut. But still, you can measure how long they take to wilt. Another possibility is that you can put whole plants (with roots) in these different liquids. In that case you might see some growth. But you will have to talk to your teacher about whether you can get whole plants.

In the meantime, be sure to think about your predictions (what do you expect to find in this experiment? Which kind of liquid will be the best? Why do you think that?)

Looking forward to hearing more!

Urmi