About the department:

Auburn University at Montgomery is a regional campus of Auburn University located in Alabama’s capital city. AUM is Alabama’s most ethnically diverse campus with students from over 40 nationalities. Many students are the first in their family to attend college. I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology and Environmental Science. I teach Introductory Biology and Bioinformatics courses.

About the research:

My research aims to understand which evolutionary mechanisms are most important in plant mating system evolution and speciation, and to understand the causal genetic changes underlying plant adaptations. I currently study these topics using the common yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus), a wildflower endemic to the Western United States and an important model system in evolutionary biology. I am also beginning to study the population genetics and ecophysiology of two of Alabama’s native azaleas (Rhododendron cumberlandense and Rhododendron prunifolium) in collaboration with researchers at Auburn’s Davis Arboretum and Holden Forests and Gardens in Ohio.

What has been the biggest challenge as a new PI so far?

My primary responsibility at AUM is to be an excellent teacher, and I currently teach mostly large introductory biology classes in which students need a lot of my time and support. My biggest challenge so far as a new PI is finding time to get my lab set up and teach new undergraduate researchers the necessary skills to work in my lab. It's a slow but rewarding process!

When and why did you become a SSE member?

I joined SSE in 2002 as a new graduate student. At the time, I joined primarily for the discounted conference registration. Of course, now I'm a member because the SSE is an important professional connection and vital to the field of evolutionary biology through publication of Evolution and Evolution Letters, as well as organization of the annual Evolution meeting. And the conference discount is still a great perk!

Besides research, how do you promote science?

I'm a mentor for the PlantingScience program, which means I mentor several groups of middle school and high school students online each year as they do inquiry-based plant science projects. It's a lot of fun to help young people realize that they may have underestimated how interesting plants can be! I also manage the Facebook page for AUM's College of Sciences. My role there is mostly to promote the science going on at AUM, but I also try to find science news and events that will be of general interest to our followers and that will help them see the importance of scientific research.

Do you have a favorite science podcast or blog?

My favorite science podcast is the Science Magazine podcast. I think it's an excellent overview of some of the big news in science. Although I am completely biased in this view because the host, Sarah Crespi, is a good friend of mine from college.

How was your first faculty meeting?

Confusing! As a new person you kind of get thrown into the deep end of the pool in terms of understanding the ins and outs of university policies and procedures and departmental business. It's a steep learning curve, but you just have to take notes and ask questions. And thankfully you get a year or two to figure things out before you're asked to actually know much of anything!