Profile

• Time Zone

  Eastern

  
  
• Organization

  University of Florida

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  My research interests lie in the heart of plant breeding and advancing frontiers in plant sciences. I want to utilize traditional plant breeding approaches and modern bioinformatic and molecular techniques in the genetic improvement of plants for food, fiber, or fuel.

  
  
• Profile Question 1

  What is best about being a scientist?

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

  The challenge of the unknown and the excitement that comes with a new discovery is best about being a scientist.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  Do you have advice for students about preparing for a science career?

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

  Reach out to scientists from other fields. A lot of new discoveries are possible by utilizing trans-disciplinary approaches so networking and understanding of science out of your realm would really enhance your science career.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What is a typical day like for you?

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

  Typically, I spend the first hour of my morning in writing and reading. Then, I check my plants in the to see if they have flowered and are ready for pollination. I make crosses between different parents in the morning. After that, I will usually do lab work like DNA extraction or work on a computer to analyze genome sequence data and extract useful information.

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

  2