Profile

• Time Zone

  Pacific

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  I am currently taking a gap year between my bachelor's degree and starting graduate school. My work involves using applied machine learning to model plant habitats in the lowland Amazon rainforest. My general interests include food web dynamics, trophic cascade effects, conservation, and bioinformatics. I enjoy programming in R!

  
  
• 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):

  It took me a long time to find my path. As a kid, I was obsessed with animals and plants of all kinds. If I wasn't watching nature shows, I was outside inventing my own. I drew a lot of pictures animals, and my peers and family steered me towards an art career. By the time I realized my real love was biology, I has already planned around going to art school. I had to reevaluate, and ended up taking a lot of remedial math and science to catch up to my peers. It was worth it though, because now I am on the path to a career I'll love. I graduated from San Jose State University in December 2019, and am engaged in research I find rewarding.

  
  
• 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):

  In life, we sometimes encounter people who tell us that the path will be too hard, and that we should turn back. When I first told my academic counselor that I wanted to switch from art to biology, she told me that it would be too hard. She tried to get me to consider other careers that I didn't have an interest in, because they would be easier. I thanked her and walked out of her office, then continued down the path towards science. As you walk down that same path, you might also encounter someone who tries to tell you that you can't make it. Do not let that person keep you from your goal. Anyone can be a scientist.

  
  
• 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):

  It is better to fail at something and learn in the process than to be right the first time and learn nothing at all. Even when experiments turn out differently than expected, we can still learn from them. Sometimes the most interesting results are the ones you don't expect!

  
  
• 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?

  2

  
  

Recent Posts

mhsmirandaspring2020 project 12 Tracey Simmons Mar 24, 2020

Hello team,

I wanted to take a moment and reach out to you, in light of the current COVID-19 crisis. I know that there is a lot of uncertainty and fear going around right now, and it is perfectly natural to feel that way. Your lives may be…

more

Hello team,

I wanted to take a moment and reach out to you, in light of the current COVID-19 crisis. I know that there is a lot of uncertainty and fear going around right now, and it is perfectly natural to feel that way. Your lives may be disrupted, and your experiment may not be as much of a priority. As scientists, we are only human, and it is a normal part of the scientific process for life to get in the way. Go easy on yourselves during this time, and focus on staying safe and healthy. You learned plenty from this project with the amount you were able to accomplish, and I was genuinely impressed with how prepared you all are for careers in science. I am sure that you will all succeed in your chosen fields, and that your experience with science will continue to serve you well. Stay safe!

Tracey

mhsmirandaspring2020 project 12 Tracey Simmons Mar 11, 2020

Great job on the photos! In your most recent pictures, you can see that the new leaves have a different shape and texture than the first few leaves. The rest of the leaves that your plants grow will look more like these new leaves. I am…

more

Great job on the photos! In your most recent pictures, you can see that the new leaves have a different shape and texture than the first few leaves. The rest of the leaves that your plants grow will look more like these new leaves. I am curious: what sort of soil mixture are you using? I noticed as I was looking through the photos that it looks really nice, but it is different from what I have at home. 

Keep up the good work!

Tracey

mhsmirandaspring2020 project 12 Tracey Simmons Mar 6, 2020

Hi Team 12,

I will look forward to your slideshow! It sounds like you've been very consistent in your methods so far. The records you've been taking both here and in class will help you to be more confident in your conclusions at the end…

more

Hi Team 12,

I will look forward to your slideshow! It sounds like you've been very consistent in your methods so far. The records you've been taking both here and in class will help you to be more confident in your conclusions at the end of the project. Great job! 

Tracey