Title: Postdoctoral Researcher
Organization: Iowa State University
Previous Role: Plant Biology Graduate Student, Penn State University

After graduating in 2013 from Integrative Biology, Stephanie worked for one year at Chromatin, Inc., which was then based in the UIUC Research Park. She hadn’t intended on pursuing plant research when she began her undergrad degree, but her experiences in IB 203 and research at the SoyFACE facility led her to pursue her Ph.D. in plant biology at Penn State University and now a postdoctoral position at Iowa State University.

"I remember it was specifically the IB Ecology class that was a game changer for me. Prior to that class, I had intended to pursue a biomedical career. One of the last lectures of the semester discussed broad topics relating to the ecological effects of climate change and introduced some current (at the time) research projects on campus at the SoyFACE facility. I immediately emailed a faculty member to see if they were hiring any undergraduate research assistants for the summer, and - as they say - the rest is history."

In her current role as a postdoctoral research associate, Stephanie is working to integrate genetics, genomics, phenomics, and physiology to better understand how the root system helps plants respond and adapt to stressful environments. While her Ph.D. work was focused on drought stress, she has since shifted toward understanding how roots respond to variable nitrogen availability. This is important not only for improving production in agricultural systems established on infertile soils, like much of the Global South, but is also important for improving sustainability practices in industrialized systems like what is typical in the midwestern U.S.

Stephanie would be a great person to talk to about academic research opportunities, graduate school applications, how to get the most out of your graduate experience, and plant/agricultural research. Contact Christina Swanson at alumnimentor@sib.illinois.edu if you would like to connect with Stephanie.