Profile

• Time Zone

  Central

  
  
• Organization

  Illinois State University

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  I currently work on native hemiparasitic plants of the Great Plains and remote sensing of agriculture. In the Spring '23 semester, I did an experiment on the effects of hemiparasitic plants on tallgrass prairie community dynamics. Over the summer I retrospectively investigated the effects of snow cover duration on cover crop plots via satellite imagery. Currently, I am investigating the host range of the hemiparasitic plant Castilleja sessiliflora. I hope to continue my work on hemiparasitic plants into my graduate career.

  
  
• Profile Question 1

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

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

  I was always biased towards biology, but my interest in plants hadn't yet set in when I was in high school. I wanted to study marine biology at the time and thought plants were boring, but now I couldn't imagine working in marine biology. As my research interests have taken hold, I relish the complexities of working with soil communities and varying geological histories. It's amazing how the wonder of the natural world opens up before your eyes when you investigate what's right in front of you.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

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

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

  One day during my Bioprinciples class at community college, it clicked for me that plants also evolved from a primarily aquatic environment to terrestrial beings. I had never considered this before and while I have a long personal history of working with plants, I believe this marked the first time it sunk in how little I really knew about plants. The evolutionary history of plants and plant relationships is still the center of my research interests.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  Do you have advice for students about preparing for a science career?

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

  Take care of yourself and keep your fire alive, everything else will work itself out.

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

  1