Overview

My goal is to incorporate research and teaching in a career that will contribute both to the body of scientific knowledge and to a community of scientifically creative and literate individuals.  I am striving for a  career in research and teaching at a small liberal arts college.  In pursuit of this career I am seeking a Ph.D. in Plant Biology, studying nighttime plant water relations.

Water is a key limiting factor for plant growth and productivity worldwide. For many years researchers have striven to understand the regulation of plant water loss and apply this knowledge to tasks such as managing crops and predicting changes to our ecosystems.  During the day plants photosynthesize, using light energy to convert CO2 into sugars.  CO2 uptake occurs through pores in plant leaves and consequently water is lost from moist leaf cells to the dry air.  Although there are widely accepted paradigms for regulation of plant water loss during the day, little is known about the regulation of water loss at night when most plants do not produce sugars.

Nighttime water loss by plants is typically 5-15% of daytime loss but has been recorded as high as 30%.  Most studies of this unexpected water loss are observational and correlate changes in environmental conditions with changes in the rate of plant water loss.  The broad objective of my dissertation is to investigate the regulation of nighttime plant water loss and its potential benefits and consequences.  I am using manipulative tests that yield clear causative evidence.  My research will help provide the foundation for predicting changes in the magnitude of nighttime plant water loss.  It will also explore the impact of this loss on water and nutrient processes that affect plant growth and productivity.

In addition to my research, I strive to improve the education of local students in the biological sciences.  I have done this both with University of Georgia (UGA) undergraduates and with active outreach to local K-12 educators.  In both areas I am working to increase the use of inquiry and active learning.  My efforts at UGA have included coauthoring two new versions a laboratory manual for a required introductory organismal biology course, mentoring undergraduates in research and designing and teaching a graduate seminar in effective teaching.  Please see my teaching portfolio for a description of my teaching activities and a statement of my teaching philosophy.