Profile

• Time Zone

  Central

  
  
• Organization

  University of Minnesota

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  I study plant community ecology, focusing on restoration of Midwestern US prairies, woodlands, and forests. I am particularly interested in the biology of seeds and seedlings and how information about their preferences and tolerances can be used to improve land restoration practices. I also study invasive plant species in order to learn ways of controlling them to favor native plants.

  
  
• Profile Question 1

  What is your favorite plant? Why?

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

  The white pine (Pinus strobus) is my favorite because it is tall and beautiful and the needles are soft. It is also a pretty good tree for climbing. White pines always remind me of home and going on camping trips in the north woods of Minnesota. Pine trees in general are some of my favorite plants and I have a collection of pine cones. I hope to collect a cone in the wild from every species in the world during my lifetime.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is a typical day like for you?

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

  One thing I love about being a plant scientist is that I don't really have a typical day. During the summer I spend much of my time collecting data in the field, surveying wild plant communities or working on my experiments. During other parts of the year my schedule changes day to day. I spend time analyzing data and creating interesting graphs to visually represent my results. I spend some days reading a lot about what other scientists have learned. I spend time writing my own papers. I also write grants, and have meetings to coordinate with collaborators or mentor my students. My favorite days are when I get to travel to conferences and meet with other experts, share our research, and generate new ideas.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What is best about being a scientist?

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

  My favorite aspect of being a scientist is getting to work with some of the smartest people in the world, who are also creative and passionate about the same things that I am. It is really fun to be part of the process of research, creating knowledge for the benefit of humanity and the planet.

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

  2