Classes and Workshops
Bioinformatics Workshop for high school teachers and students, 2017
During the summer of 2017, I helped design and co-teach a workshop focused on basic bioinformatics and wet lab tools, with the goal of demonstrating and discussing possible techniques and curriculum for use in a high school classroom setting. We taught techniques in DNA extraction, genotyping, sequencing, as well as tools to analyze and compare sequences.
Lab Techniques in Cell and Molecular Biology, 2011
I led several lab sections in a techniques course, introducing cell and molecular techniques like extracting DNA, growing and transforming E.coli, cloning, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and yeast-2-hybrid assays. Students learned how to use these techniques to identify sequences within cell lines, address gene regulation, and test protein interactions. They kept laboratory notebooks, wrote up lab reports, and gave group oral presentations, learning how to present their findings in a variety of different ways.
Intro to Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, 2010
I served as a teaching assistant and lab section leader for the introductory molecular, cellular, and developmental biology course in the biology series at University of Washington. The course focused on the structure and function of molecules and cells, the central dogma and gene regulation, and the development of both plants and animals. During this course, I was introduced to the use of active learning techniques in very large classrooms, such as Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGILs). These activities allowed students to walk through concepts like PCR and animal development step-by-step, working with their neighbors, before reading the text. Then their learning would be supported by doing the reading and labs in the following days.
During the summer of 2017, I helped design and co-teach a workshop focused on basic bioinformatics and wet lab tools, with the goal of demonstrating and discussing possible techniques and curriculum for use in a high school classroom setting. We taught techniques in DNA extraction, genotyping, sequencing, as well as tools to analyze and compare sequences.
Lab Techniques in Cell and Molecular Biology, 2011
I led several lab sections in a techniques course, introducing cell and molecular techniques like extracting DNA, growing and transforming E.coli, cloning, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and yeast-2-hybrid assays. Students learned how to use these techniques to identify sequences within cell lines, address gene regulation, and test protein interactions. They kept laboratory notebooks, wrote up lab reports, and gave group oral presentations, learning how to present their findings in a variety of different ways.
Intro to Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, 2010
I served as a teaching assistant and lab section leader for the introductory molecular, cellular, and developmental biology course in the biology series at University of Washington. The course focused on the structure and function of molecules and cells, the central dogma and gene regulation, and the development of both plants and animals. During this course, I was introduced to the use of active learning techniques in very large classrooms, such as Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGILs). These activities allowed students to walk through concepts like PCR and animal development step-by-step, working with their neighbors, before reading the text. Then their learning would be supported by doing the reading and labs in the following days.
Outreach and Extension
Appalachian Fruit Research Station Tours and Twilight Meetings
At the USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, I was fortunate to have some fantastic opportunities to participate in a number of outreach and extension activities. We frequently gave tours of the station and presentations of our ongoing scientific research. Annually, we gave public tours during the apple harvest season, and frequently had student groups from local K-12 schools and Shepherd University come to learn about fruit tree research. We were also fortunate to have groups like the Young Growers Alliance and the Eastern Plant Board tour our station, and we hosted twilight grower meetings on occasion, as well. I had the opportunity to both lead and assist in organizing several of these tours, as well as present my lab’s work during many others.
Jefferson and Washington High School Careers in STEM and SNHS STEM Night
In 2016 I was invited to visit Washington High School in Charles Town, WV to a Careers in STEM day, where I talked with high school science students about my background, my research questions and interests, and path to getting my PhD and starting my post-doc at the USDA. After the Bioinformatics Workshop, I was invited to talk about my research for an after-school National Science Honor Scociety STEM Night program started at Jefferson High School in Kearneysville, WV. Both of these events gave me a great chance to interact with local K-12 students, many of whom showed an interest in working with us in the future. I got quite a few questions about going to college for science, and it was great to be able to help students as they navigated these decisions.
Expanding Your Horizons
During graduate school, the Nemhauser lab would organize a lab workshop as part of the Expanding Your Horizons program, a full day when young women in middle schools across Western Washington would come to the labs at Seattle University to learn about different research questions, techniques, and careers in science through attending hands-on workshops. We put together short lab exercises for participants to learn about pigments, DNA, genetics traits and genetic engineering in plants, and problems that farmers face as they make decisions about their crops. This was a wonderful chance to interact with young women interested in the sciences, do fun and interesting lab experiments, and talk with them about how we got into our careers in science.
At the USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, I was fortunate to have some fantastic opportunities to participate in a number of outreach and extension activities. We frequently gave tours of the station and presentations of our ongoing scientific research. Annually, we gave public tours during the apple harvest season, and frequently had student groups from local K-12 schools and Shepherd University come to learn about fruit tree research. We were also fortunate to have groups like the Young Growers Alliance and the Eastern Plant Board tour our station, and we hosted twilight grower meetings on occasion, as well. I had the opportunity to both lead and assist in organizing several of these tours, as well as present my lab’s work during many others.
Jefferson and Washington High School Careers in STEM and SNHS STEM Night
In 2016 I was invited to visit Washington High School in Charles Town, WV to a Careers in STEM day, where I talked with high school science students about my background, my research questions and interests, and path to getting my PhD and starting my post-doc at the USDA. After the Bioinformatics Workshop, I was invited to talk about my research for an after-school National Science Honor Scociety STEM Night program started at Jefferson High School in Kearneysville, WV. Both of these events gave me a great chance to interact with local K-12 students, many of whom showed an interest in working with us in the future. I got quite a few questions about going to college for science, and it was great to be able to help students as they navigated these decisions.
Expanding Your Horizons
During graduate school, the Nemhauser lab would organize a lab workshop as part of the Expanding Your Horizons program, a full day when young women in middle schools across Western Washington would come to the labs at Seattle University to learn about different research questions, techniques, and careers in science through attending hands-on workshops. We put together short lab exercises for participants to learn about pigments, DNA, genetics traits and genetic engineering in plants, and problems that farmers face as they make decisions about their crops. This was a wonderful chance to interact with young women interested in the sciences, do fun and interesting lab experiments, and talk with them about how we got into our careers in science.
Student Mentoring
In my graduate and post-doctoral labs, my advisors have been strong believers in having senior lab members mentor undergraduates, post-bacs and masters students. I’ve had great and rewarding opportunities to work with students at earlier stages than I, teaching them techniques and guiding them as they formulate their own research questions to address.
2016-2018
Marshall Hoffmaster - Cloning, generation and phenotyping of transgenic plant lines containing constructs to address localization of IGT proteins, and genetic interactions between IGT genes and light-signaling genes.
2015-2016
Courtney Knill - Identifying root angle genes using a suppressor screen in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Courtney presented her research at the Cornell Summer Scholars program in 2016 and again at the Mid-Atlantic Plant Molecular Biology Symposium in 2016.
Emma Acly - Uncovering TAC1 and LAZY1 protein-protein interactions using a yeast-2-hybrid screen.
Emma also presented her research at both the Cornell Summer Scholars program and MAPMBS in 2016.
2013-2014
Tamar Feldman - Generation and phenotyping of Arabidopsis plant lines containing IAA14 degradation rate-variant constructs.
2011-2013
Autumn Walker - Getting to the root of IAA protein interactions in Arabidopsis thaliana - Cloning and characterization of IAA28 protein variants as well as Multi-Bimolecular Fluorescent Complementation constructs to test competitive protein binding strength.
Autumn presented her research at the UW Undergraduate Researach Symposium in the Spring of 2012 and 2013, and received a Mary Gates Undergraduate Research Scholarship.
2010
Zachary Mccauley - Characterization and mapping of an EMS mutagenesis mutant, prin1, showing lateral root defects.
2016-2018
Marshall Hoffmaster - Cloning, generation and phenotyping of transgenic plant lines containing constructs to address localization of IGT proteins, and genetic interactions between IGT genes and light-signaling genes.
2015-2016
Courtney Knill - Identifying root angle genes using a suppressor screen in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Courtney presented her research at the Cornell Summer Scholars program in 2016 and again at the Mid-Atlantic Plant Molecular Biology Symposium in 2016.
Emma Acly - Uncovering TAC1 and LAZY1 protein-protein interactions using a yeast-2-hybrid screen.
Emma also presented her research at both the Cornell Summer Scholars program and MAPMBS in 2016.
2013-2014
Tamar Feldman - Generation and phenotyping of Arabidopsis plant lines containing IAA14 degradation rate-variant constructs.
2011-2013
Autumn Walker - Getting to the root of IAA protein interactions in Arabidopsis thaliana - Cloning and characterization of IAA28 protein variants as well as Multi-Bimolecular Fluorescent Complementation constructs to test competitive protein binding strength.
Autumn presented her research at the UW Undergraduate Researach Symposium in the Spring of 2012 and 2013, and received a Mary Gates Undergraduate Research Scholarship.
2010
Zachary Mccauley - Characterization and mapping of an EMS mutagenesis mutant, prin1, showing lateral root defects.