Profile

• Time Zone

  Central

  
  
• Organization

  Valent BioSciences

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  Small plot trials in agricultural research. Experimental design and statistical analysis. Soil microbiology, especially arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Root-associated bacteria and endophytes. Seed biology (seed production, aging and interaction with germination). Abiotic stress tolerance, especially reaction of warm season grasses to chilling. Corn breeding and genetics

  
  
• 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 been interested in science and engineering from about age 5, and always planned to go into science

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is your favorite plant? Why?

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

  Corn is my favorite plant. It is so robust and productive. It is also quite a botanical monstrosity, having been shaped and radically changed by 10,000 years of selection and domestication by humans.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What is a typical day like for you?

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

  In winter and spring I design field experiments to help invent new products. I have a lot of meetings with colleagues and management to decide what kinds of experiments we need. Then I meet with research cooperators all over the country to arrange experiments. During the summer I go to the locations to look at the trials and take samples. In the fall I collect the results and analyze them statistically, and make slide sets showing the results. I also do some laboratory and greenhouse research as time allows.

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

  1