Profile

• Time Zone

  Central

  
  
• Organization

  University of Nebraska at Kearney

  
  
• Employment Status

  University / College Faculty

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  My research focuses on the belowground interactions between plants, microbes, and their environment. I am specifically interested on the role biological invasions, biotic disturbance, and global change play in shaping the structure and, in turn, the functioning of plant and soil microbial communities.

  
  
• Do you have previous experience in mentorship or educational outreach? Please list here (200 words)

  During my time as a graduate student I have mentored undergraduates on various independent projects, which have included how plants recover following fire to the effects of small mammal disturbance on the presence of non-native grasses. As an associate professor, I currently mentor a number of undergraduate and graduate students on independent projects ranging from molecular methods/bioinformatics to plant-soil conservation efforts in forest and prairie ecosystems. I also have extensive outreach experience, which has included being engaged with Wisest, an organization in Alberta, Canada dedicated to empowering women in STEM fields. Currently, I engage with groups underrepresented in STEM as a SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability Program) Mentor through the Ecological Society of America and as a PLANTS (Preparing Leaders and Nurturing Tomorrow’s Scientists) Mentor through the Botanical Society of America.

  
  
• 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 liked many disciplines in science (biology, chemistry) and had a love for the environment, being outside and discovering what was around the corner on my weekly hikes through the forest. However, it wasn't until I was an undergraduate at university that my interest in teaching would reignite my passion for science. While as a 3rd year undergrad student, I had the opportunity to serve as an aide at the local YMCA where we partnered with several botanists in the area to enhance the after-school program, and as they say, the rest is history. The teaching-mentoring opportunity opened the possibilities of a career in academia and I realized that I could combine and share my love of the environment and the outdoors with my scientific interests.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is best about being a scientist?

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

  Its about learning and discovery! Its about figuring out how things are connected and answering questions (at least for me) on why everything isn't everywhere. Its the challenge of trying to figure things out and that every question leads to another question!

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What is your favorite plant? Why?

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

  Growing up on the east coast of the US, I read about, looked at pictures and dreamed about one day seeing a coastal redwood, Sequoia sempervirens. When I finally made it to the Muir woods in northern California, it was awe-inspiring! Redwoods can grow over 300 feet tall and can live for hundreds if not a thousand years plus. Redwoods can capture water from fog moving off the ocean, which drips down and nourishes the plant communities below. Hundreds of epiphytic communities can be supported within a single redwood tree. Ultimately, these redwoods play a major role in coastal forest ecosystems and if you ever get the opportunity to see one of these giants in person, I hope you will see why this is my favorite plant!

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

  Botanical Society of America
  Ecological Society of America
  Society for Ecological Restoration

  
  
• Availability

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

  
  
• In addition to English, I am comfortable communicating with students in the following languages:

  Polish

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

  1

  
  

Recent Posts

6b2 Gregory J Pec Mar 13 at 09:03am

Hi Adi - Yes, you can have hybrid seeds by cross-pollinating plants that are genetically different. Yes, for example, you can grow them using hydroponics....technique for growing them in a water based solution rather than in soil. 

Great to…

more

Hi Adi - Yes, you can have hybrid seeds by cross-pollinating plants that are genetically different. Yes, for example, you can grow them using hydroponics....technique for growing them in a water based solution rather than in soil. 

Great to hear, Adi! Upload a pic if you can, would be great to see it!

Greg

6b2 Gregory J Pec Mar 13 at 08:57am

Hi Nola - Thanks for sharing some of your thoughts and questions about seeds. For the 'I know' part, can you elaborate on what you mean by "seeds are baby plants connected to bigger plants"...just trying to get at what you are…

more

Hi Nola - Thanks for sharing some of your thoughts and questions about seeds. For the 'I know' part, can you elaborate on what you mean by "seeds are baby plants connected to bigger plants"...just trying to get at what you are thinking here. As for the 'I wonder' section, your first question I answered in my reply to Bram (but posting here as well)

(Q1) There are two major seed types, gymnosperms which have seeds in cones and angiosperms which have seeds in ovaries of flowers. This is a good question and depends on who you ask or what manuscript article you are referencing. As a rough estimate ~300,000, as this varies between 220K – 400k+. Somewhere around ~250,000 or so for accepted angiosperm species of seed plants.

(Q2) A seed is living. Seeds are dormant (in a resting state), however their cells are alive and performing cellular function just at a really really slow rate.

(Q3) Plants have many strategies for establishing a foothold, one of those is through seed production...many plants that are invasive have large seed stores in the soil and are able to take advantage of certain environmental cues or they can get dispersed via animals or vehicles, thus being able to spread at farther distances.

(Q4) I'll let you think about this one some more, but for starters I'd like you to also think about any chemical changes that are occurring with the seed. Or better put, seeds are dormant and so some seeds have hard or thick coats that are needed to break their physical dormancy versus others that need, for example, fire to break their chemical dormancy.

Keep up the good work!

Greg

6b2 Gregory J Pec Mar 9 at 02:55pm

Hi Bram!

(Q1) There are two major seed types, gymnosperms which have seeds in cones and angiosperms which have seeds in ovaries of flowers. This is a good question and depends on who you ask or what manuscript article you are referencing. As a…

more

Hi Bram!

(Q1) There are two major seed types, gymnosperms which have seeds in cones and angiosperms which have seeds in ovaries of flowers. This is a good question and depends on who you ask or what manuscript article you are referencing. As a rough estimate ~300,000, as this varies between 220K – 400k+. Somewhere around ~250,000 or so for accepted angiosperm species of seed plants.

(Q2) It depends and there are quite a few factors that play a role here. You are correct in that water is very important, in terms of too little or too much. This then can lead to secondary factors such as not enough oxygen to germinate or a damping off effect. The latter is caused by soil pathogens such as phytium or fusarium. Other factors at play may be soils are too compacted, seeds are sown or located too deep from the soil surface, temperatures are either too high or too low, if seeds are being stored they might be incorrectly where they are no longer viable or just due to simply being too old, or even that granivores might have eaten them in natural settings. Light availability is important particularly for small seeded plants like lettuce, for example.

(Q3) Yes, a good example are sugar beets. They can contain one seed (monogerm) or more than one seed (multigerm). When these seeds germinate, they may have two or more seedlings germinating at once.

Great questions so far! 

Greg