Hi there

I am an undergraduate student here at Lewis & Clark, and if all goes well I will be graduating in 2010 with a degree in mathematics. I am still trying to decide where my academic interests are strongest, and I see my time in the lab as a fun way to see how I feel about a career as a biologist. While I have not yet figured out how, before I leave I hope to create a project integrating mathematical modeling into the study of microbial ecology. I also hope to publish an article, to become an expert on plant and microbial ecology and most of all to continue to enjoy my scientific adventures.

My work so far has focused on the bacteria Frankia. It began in the summer of 2008 when Peter, Rachel, MG and I went to the Olympic National Rainforest to study Frankia on adventitious roots in the Alder canopy...

Fun In the Forest!

Juggling Amongst the Clouds

Here I am juggling in the alder canopy during our summer Rogers trip! It was a lot of fun, even though I didn't find any Frankia there. Luckily Peter was waiting to pick up the balls when I dropped them, and to take pictures.

The Unexpected...

You know what? Peter juggles too! We even passed with each other, and it was twice as fun as juggling alone.

The LC Team

Here we all are, ready to go with our rain gear and our smiling faces. We're great guys! That week was one of the best all summer. Although it may be a close second to any one of the many subsequent weeks spent in the lab agonizing over malfunctioning PCR. Actually, those weeks really were a lot of fun. Every time we had to fix a problem I learned ten times as much as I did from having a reaction be successful.