Profile

• Time Zone

  Eastern

  
  
• Organization

  Rochester Institute of Technology, College of Science, Gosnell School of Life Sciences

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  Botany, Plant Physiology, Horticulture, Fungi, Mushrooms

  
  
• 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):

  I have never not thought about science.....I remember as a child laying on the ground and watching ants march to and fro carrying in supplies to their colony. I grew up following my brother who was collecting butterflies ( he later obtained a BS in entomology and a PhD in toxicology). I have never wavered from the pursuit of scientific thought...from observing the trees/ insects/animals around me to studying science topics in the classroom.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is a typical day like for you?

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

  A typical day for me begins with taking care of my many animals and birds at my house....feeding 3 dogs, 6 cats, 2 cockatiels and 2 button quail...and then going outside to feed and water my 11 chickens, 2 guinea fowl, goose and my duck. After that I go to work at RIT to manage the greenhouse, the animal room where we keep mice, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, Dermestid beetles and a mealworm colony. I also instruct some laboratory classes and serve as the safety officer for the department. My office is in the stockroom and I manage this area as well along with the army of college students we employ.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  Can you share a funny/interesting lab or field story?

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

  During my college years, we were performing an experiment to separate water into the two gases of Hydrogen and Oxygen in our class. My partner and I were very diligent in our studies, so we were very serious and intent on our experiment. The collection of this gas was tested by putting the stoppered test tube under water and allowing the gas to escape gradually. When we took our rubber stopper out of the tube, we were unprepared for the force of the vacuum we had created and the stopper was pulled out of our hands.....and INTO the test tube....but not just in the end ! It went all the way into the middle of the tube with a great T-H-U-M-P ! so we now had a test tube with a stopper half way up the tube and no way to get it out. I remember we were stunned and the talk of the class for the rest of the day.

  
  
• Help represent the outreach efforts of your societies. Please click all those organizations you are a member of:

  (not set)

  
  
• Availability

  I am currently available for mentoring, please send me team match invitations

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

  2

  
  

Recent Posts

The Seed Shufflers Jennifer Liedkie Oct 26, 2021

Jetro,  thanks for the response about the songs.   there has been a lot of "myths" about playing music for plants....and it is interesting that you may have found some response in your experiment !   might be good…

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Jetro,  thanks for the response about the songs.   there has been a lot of "myths" about playing music for plants....and it is interesting that you may have found some response in your experiment !   might be good reason to continue on with it at another time. 

 

good luck  and hope your presentation goes well !

 

Prof J

Project-9 Jennifer Liedkie Oct 22, 2021

Jonathan,  thanks for responding.   I guess I have given your group some "food for thought" for the next generation of experiments.  I am hoping that if you plan on more, you can remember some of this experience and set…

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Jonathan,  thanks for responding.   I guess I have given your group some "food for thought" for the next generation of experiments.  I am hoping that if you plan on more, you can remember some of this experience and set up some tighter controls.  

You have some results and one can always learn from results....whether they are the ones you expected, or the ones that surprised you ! 

Cheers !

 

Project-9 Jennifer Liedkie Oct 19, 2021

hello, everyone !  I am getting caught up with your photos....thanks for putting a little more descriptions in with your photos.   so...the only one htat has germinated is your baking soda pot, correct ?    I…

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hello, everyone !  I am getting caught up with your photos....thanks for putting a little more descriptions in with your photos.   so...the only one htat has germinated is your baking soda pot, correct ?    I wonder...it looks to me like you are having some mold issues....is that what I am seeing ?    Mold can grow when conditions are too wet. 

 

are you controlling the amount of water you are giving each pot  and giving them each the same amount ?

 

Can I safely assume that the photos are ( going from left to right)----vinegar,  baking soda,  water ?

 

what kind of vinegar did you use ?  apple cider or plain white vinegar ?  Apple cider is started with fermentation of the apple skins and so will have some mold/bacteria present already and that could be why there is some mold growth.  

It does appear that there is something happening with the "plain water" one too though and that could be that it is over-watered.  ( if there is no plant growing, there is no uptake of water by the seedling and so when excess water would have been utilized by the plant for growth, without it in place,  it is now too much water)

 

has anything different happened since the 12th when you posted these last photos ?

 

interested in seeing if something more has happened....Prof J