When the purpose of one’s research and academic activities are intended to create and advance knowledge with and for the benefit of the general public, that is a Public Scholar writ large.
Research Description
Drought events and extreme heat waves caused by ongoing climate change are becoming more frequent for growers during the summer months. For example, in 2021 the unprecedented heat wave in the lower mainland of British Columbia resulted in temperatures exceeding 45°C which coincided with six critical growing months where precipitation was only 30% of normal. The conditions of 2021 highlight the challenges to global food security caused by climate change and warrants preparing growers for these extreme scenarios. Growers need drought-tolerant varieties, irrigation management techniques for drought conditions, and methods to monitor plant-water status in order to secure production for future generations. Thus, to ensure sustainable water management for agriculture as climate change becomes more severe, I am pursuing the following goals in my research: 1) identifying plant material with improved tolerance to conditions of water stress and 2) promoting sustainable irrigation management practices that are informed by plant physiological behavior. To achieve goal one, I am developing a novel high-throughput physiological phenotyping approach to identify drought tolerant varieties of woody perennial crops. To achieve goal two, I seek to increase grower preparedness by collaborating with farmers to demonstrate and implement plant-based monitoring techniques for sustainable irrigation management.
What does being a Public Scholar mean to you?
When the purpose of one’s research and academic activities are intended to create and advance knowledge with and for the benefit of the general public, that is a Public Scholar writ large.
In what ways do you think the PhD experience can be re-imagined with the Public Scholars Initiative?
When the purpose of one’s research and academic activities are intended to create and advance knowledge with and for the benefit of the general public, that is a Public Scholar.
How do you envision connecting your PhD work with broader career possibilities?
After my PhD, I hope to find a position where my responsibilities involve utilizing the resources of an institution (i.e., a government agency, university, non-profit, or corporation) to support the agricultural community. I believe my PhD work and being a member of the PSI will help me achieve this by supporting applied research conducted on farms and in collaboration with growers.
How does your research engage with the larger community and social partners?
The applied component of my PhD research focuses on collaborating with growers to demonstrate plant-based monitoring techniques to help them make informed irrigation management decisions. We will also demonstrate similar plant-based monitoring techniques with UBC students and the public at Totem field. We hope to use these opportunities with growers, student, and interested members of the public to raise awareness about the impact of climate change on crop production and other plants as well.
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
Personal fulfillment is probably the biggest factor influencing my decision to pursue a graduate degree. Instead of deciding to pursue a graduate degree, I never decided there was anything else I would rather do. Academia feels like the opportunities are limitless and you have so much ability to create your own path forward. There are many jobs out there I would love to do, but sticking with academia and pursuing a graduate degree felt like I would not have to settle for just one opportunity.
Why did you choose to come to British Columbia and study at UBC?
I had a few ideal criteria when trying to decide where to do my PhD and UBC met all of them. I wanted to try working with new types of crops/styles of production, work in a new climate, and I had hoped to be able to do a PhD outside the United States. The climate in BC is much more temperate, less variable, and with far higher precipitation than the arid high-desert environment of northern Nevada. At UBC I am working with woody perennial like hazelnut, in contrast to my MSc where I worked an herbaceous annual like tomatoes. I was fortunate that my supervisor here was looking for a new PhD student and my prior research experience was very similar.
