Identify over 50 different species of native Texas plantsRecord and enter information of more than 1000 specimens into an online databaseUse software to geolocate where plant specimens were collected for specimens dating back over 100 years

The Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) is a world-renowned program that exposes first-year undergraduates to high level research being conducted at the University of Texas at Austin. As a mentor for FRI, I spend two semesters with a class of students. I help teach them basic genetics lab techniques such as DNA isolation, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and Sanger DNA sequencing. We also teach the students basic computational biology skills like R programming, PCR and sequencing primer design, and Integrative Genomics Viewer. All this culminates in the students’ own research projects, which I help guide them through. The students learn how to make scientific posters and write scientific reports about the their projects, as well as how to communicate their findings to their peers and other scientists.

I assist the Juenger Lab at UT Austin in researching the genetics of Hall's panicgrass (Panicum hallii) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). The goal of the lab is to understand Hall's panicgrass as a genetic model organism for switchgrass, with the goal of converting switchgrass into a leading source of bioethanol. While I have many jobs in the lab, including assisting with field work campaigns, my main project involves studying the genes that regulate heavy metal tolerance in Hall's panicgrass. To better understand these genes, I have learned many molecular genetics skills, horticultural skills, and computational biology. I have also presented my findings at various conferences through posters and speeches.

The High School Research Academy (HSRA) is a 6 week program hosted by UT Austin. As a mentor for HSRA, I guide high school students through real research being conducted at UT Austin. I teach them wet lab skills such as DNA isolation, PCR, and gel electrophoresis. I also teach them computational genomics skills, such as the Integrative Genomics Viewer, RStudio, and how to design primers for PCR. At the end of the program, I help the students to design a poster showcasing their findings from the summer, which will be presented at a conference with hundreds of other HSRA students and UT Austin students and professors.