Profile

• Time Zone

  (GMT +10) Sydney, Guam, Port Moresby, Vladivostok

  
  
• Organization

  The University of Adelaide

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  Paleobotany
  Plant anatomy and morphology
  Physical plant response to climate and environment variability
  Plant water use

  
  
• Profile Question 1

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

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

  A single plant species can survive in a range of environments because of plasticity. Plasticity is the ability to make small changes in function and physical appearance to cope with changes such as weather variability, where they grow on a mountain and whether leaves grow in sunny or shady areas.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is best about being a scientist?

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

  My favourite part of being a scientist is thinking about large scale events and how plants cope with these changes. For example, I have thought about the evolution of an Australian plant from 65 million years ago through to today. There has been much change in Australian climate and environment during this time for all plants to have to cope with.

  
  
• 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):

  Practise observing things. Observation of nature is what forms hypotheses which helps you to create experiments. Try to notice what types of plants grow in wet or dry areas of you neighborhood, how are the leaves of these wet and dry plants different? What other kinds of things can you notice that you could one day try testing with an experiment?

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

  2

  
  

Recent Posts

Nicolas Sage Kathryn Hill Dec 21, 2017

Hi Gena, Kat, Lucie and Kelly,

Your data are interesting, it seems that a higher number of discs floated quicker in pH 9 and pH 2.

It was my pleasure to help you with your experiments and I'm really glad that you all got something out of…

more

Hi Gena, Kat, Lucie and Kelly,

Your data are interesting, it seems that a higher number of discs floated quicker in pH 9 and pH 2.

It was my pleasure to help you with your experiments and I'm really glad that you all got something out of it :)

All the best for your future endeavours and maybe I'll see you at a botany conference one day!

Cheers,

Kathryn.

bshsseligfall2017 project 3 Kathryn Hill Dec 21, 2017

Hi Ryann, Brandon and Kaelan,

It was my pleasure to help you with your experiments and I hope that you have learned something interesting :)

All the best,

Kathryn.

bshsseligfall2017 project 3 Kathryn Hill Dec 4, 2017

Hi project 3,

Sounds good, how are you planning to test this? Do you have access to light sources that do not give off heat? I would recommend having eg three cups for your experiment: one with a lamp that does not give off heat, one in natural…

more

Hi project 3,

Sounds good, how are you planning to test this? Do you have access to light sources that do not give off heat? I would recommend having eg three cups for your experiment: one with a lamp that does not give off heat, one in natural light (maybe you could also monitor the temperature of that one) and one with a regular light bulb that may give off heat (also monitor temp).

I don't know what resources you guys have so let me know if you're not able to do this and I'll help you come up with a different plan :)

Cheers,

Kathryn.