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 span many disciplines, but mostly focus on botany and evolution. Tropical Botany is very intriguing to me and I have made multiple trips to Ecuador to collect tropical plant species to assist in capturing the biodiversity of the Amazonian Basin. I am also very interested in Phylogeography which studies the historical processes that potentially shape communities, though specifically I am focused on plant community structure. My experience with molecular techniques such as DNA barcoding allows the identification of plant or animal material whose identification is previously unknown. I have used these techniques for many purposes including diet analysis, identifying potentially invasive species at seaports, and creating phylogenies showing the evolutionary relationships between plant species.

  
  
• Profile Question 1

  What is your favorite plant? Why?

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

  My favorite plant, Aristolochia mishuyacensis, has quite an interesting name and has a very unusual looking floral structure. This plant is actually a vine and its large flowers feature a long trail hanging down from the front of the flower for pollinators to land on and climb into the flower. This species is distributed in South America and our research team was the first to collect this species in the Yasuni National Park in Ecuador on a blackwater tributary. The species was collected twice on two separate trips and our colleagues have published a paper regarding its taxonomy and distribution. This genus of plants, (Aristolochia) is very unique because it often uses trickery to achieve pollination. The flowers are typically pollinated by flies and beetles, often attracted to the foul smell some of the species emit.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

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

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

  The broad diversity of the plant kingdom is one of the most amazing phenomena to me scientifically. It is difficult to narrow down the most interesting thing I have learned about plants but I think that the medicinal properties of some plant species grabs my attention the most. For thousands of years, people have been using plants as natural remedies for countless ailments. Many of our modern medicines today would not have been created without the medicinal properties of certain plant species. Throughout the world, different indigenous groups harbor vast knowledge about the medicinal use of the flora around them. The world of plants is truly an amazing place and there are always new discoveries to be made.

  
  
• 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):

  If science interests you as a career, I would suggest exposing yourself to many different aspects of scientific fields to see what peaks your interest the best. Only by experiencing the seemingly countless possibilities science can create, can you understand what you truly love about science. This can be a difficult field of study at times and requires a lot of hard work and study. However, the more effort you put into creating a career for yourself in science, the more you will receive. You may be surprised at how many others are open to sharing and explaining their field of study. Many scientists are very passionate about their work and would love any opportunity to foster that same love in others. My greatest piece of advice is to try your best, do not be discouraged, sometimes science can be intimidating but the rewards and knowledge gained are worth the effort.

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

  5

  
  

Recent Posts

Monkey Grass Lauren Whitehurst Nov 4, 2019

Good morning Monkey Grass!

Thank you all for your hard work and participation. It has been a pleasure working with you and learning more about plants and science! 

lhsbradleypsfall2019 project 6 Lauren Whitehurst Nov 4, 2019

Wow!

These are great photos, and I love the idea behind your experiment about the runoff from the road! 

lhsbradleypsfall2019 project 6 Lauren Whitehurst Oct 29, 2019

Good morning Isabella!

That sounds like it will be a very interesting experiment, how do you think the seeds will be affected by the gasoline? What inspired this experiment?

Great planning!