Profile

• Time Zone

  Eastern

  
  
• Organization

  USDA - Maryland Office

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  Plant physiology (photosynthesis, water use)
  Plant reproductive biology (pollination, mating systems)
  Plant ecology (response to abiotic stress, resource limitation, competition)
  Plant genetics (mendelian inheritance, quantitative genetics, hybridization)

  
  
• 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 had the opportunity to do research as an undergraduate student, and enjoyed the process so much I wanted to keep doing it! I enjoy the combination of tinkering and teamwork.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is your favorite plant? Why?

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

  There are so many amazing plants! But, I would have to say one of my favorites is Ocotilla (Fouquieria splendens). It is a vase-shaped shrub, with drought-deciduous leaves and bright red flowers that look like flames at the top of the branches. It is one of many beautiful plants native to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts, and a great example of adaptation to stressful habitats.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What lessons have you learned in your career about how science works?

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

  No experiment is perfect.
  It is important to know how one's research fits in to the larger body of knowledge of a topic.
  Science is also a creative process!

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

  (not set)

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

  1

  
  

Recent Posts

cgpsbuckleyfall2017 project 10 Amanda Kenney Nov 26, 2017

Hi team MAD Science!

How is your project going?

Best,

Amanda

Space Monkey Mafia Amanda Kenney Nov 26, 2017

Hi team Space Monkey Mafia!

How is your project going?

Best,

Amanda

cgpsbuckleyfall2017 project 10 Amanda Kenney Nov 14, 2017

Hello MAD Sciencers!

Here are some comments, as promised. Albeit a little late.

My first suggestion is to try to separate out a general hypothesis and a specific prediction. Usually, a hypothesis is a statement about a general phenomenon.…

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Hello MAD Sciencers!

Here are some comments, as promised. Albeit a little late.

My first suggestion is to try to separate out a general hypothesis and a specific prediction. Usually, a hypothesis is a statement about a general phenomenon. A prediction would be a more specific event that we expect to observe if the hypothesis were true. 

In your case, what general phenomenon about leaf surfaces are you trying to test? Or, worded another way, what is your hypothesis for how this phenomenon works? Then, your prediction would be what you expect to observe if the hypothesis is true.

For example, imagine my hypothesis is that particular wavelengths of light are used in photosynthesis, and other wavelengths are not. I might develop a specific prediction that red light would result in more photosynthesis than orange light.

 

Second, I have a couple questions. Are you suspending the leaves in plain water? Or will something be dissolved in the water? In general, do you expect leaves to float or sink in water? 

 

Third, your dependent variable should be what you are actually measuring - which is the number of leaves floating. Of course, you are measuring this because it is informative about photosynthesis. I suggest you explain why the number of floating leaf discs is informative about the amount of photosynthesis the leaf discs are doing.

 

Great job pointing out the constants and developing your datasheet ahead of time. It's extremely helpful to think about the structure of the data before you try to collect it.

Have fun and enjoy setting up your experiment. I look forward to hearing more about it. Feel free to send questions.

Amanda