(El Profesor Distraído)

Brandon was a Kinesiology student with a minor in Environmental Studies. He volunteered at the Fullerton Arboretum as an educational tour guide, in addition to being a member of the horticulture club at the Fullerton Arboretum. He has experience with greenhouse work, field work, and urban agriculture. His research on companion plant effects on tomato productivity and herbivory helped support efforts to improve food security in Orange County. He looks forward to graduate school!

Matthew studied the effects of nitrogen addition on herbivory of the non-native Foeniculum vulgare, sweet fennel. His interest in agricultural biology began during his time on a small, family owned and operated farm in Northern California. Matthew plans to run a pilot project this spring to catalogue common fennel herbivores. He hopes his research will inform not only ecologists but urban gardeners as well.

Jennifer Pai-Yu Cheng conducted a market research study to measure university students' knowledge about their on-campus arboretum, as well as collect students' opinions about potential appeal factors and their interests in the institute. Her research project focused on the students at Cal State Fullerton and her work will assist the Fullerton Arboretum with future educational developments. Jennifer plans to join the Peace Corp.

Chandel studied the relationship between water availability and resource allocation to seeds, and the connection between seed size and seedling fitness in Foeniculum vulgare. To examine these relationships, she used remote sensing technology and ground data to quantify the water balance for specific locations where F. vulgare seeds have been previously collected. Seeds from these locations were measured and then correlated with water balance calculations.

Tiffany Duong studied the effects of soil amendment application methods on soil water retention and plant productivity. Tiffany's work focused on worm castings, a type of soil amendment and Raphanus sativa (radish). She found that application method had no impact on soil water retention or total plant productivity, but found some evidence that it impacts allocation to above- and belowground growth.

Tilly conducted multiple research projects on environmental drivers of invasion success in southern California grasslands. As an MS student at CSU Fresno, she has continued her studies in the field of science education.

Claudia completed her M.S in the Environmental Studies program. She is interested in phenotypic plasticity and rapid evolution in invasive species. Her current research is focused on the effects of drought stress on southern California populations of invasive Foeniculum vulgare, sweet fennel.

Kyle conducted thesis research on the allelopathic potential of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) and entertained his lab with his photoshop skills. He is wrapping up work on his MS at San Diego State University.

Desiree looked at how food safety and handling knowledge correlates with practice in elementary aged children. She is currently applying for graduate school programs in microbiology and eventually would like to work on research in infectious diseases.

Jarrett explored how biochar feedstock affects its impacts on plant growth. His other activities included being a member the Biology Club, working as an Supplemental Instruction Leader and Greenhouse Assistant, and being a U-ACRE Fellow. In his leisure time, he enjoys watching various cartoons and shows, video games, cooking, and trying new foods.

Phyllis Liang investigated food safety knowledge among college students at California State University, Fullerton. She found that while many students self-report high frequency of produce washing, many use inappropriate methods. She hopes that this study will help CSUF students learn and practice safe food handling. She is now looking towards a career in student support services.

Calvin Lung's research explored the effects of diet optimization has on worm cast quality and quantity. Eisenia fetida can break down organic matter, such as food wastes, and turn them into a nutrient-rich soil amendment that plants can easily uptake. Calvin found that food sorting had no measurable impact on cast production or nutrient content.

Alicia identified issues with how textbooks present graphs to students, which may then lead students to have poor graph interpretation and construction skills. She hopes to earn her teaching credential, applying some of the lessons she learned from her research to her own courses.

I am interested in investigating the current teaching practices and professional development experiences of the Biological Science California Community College faculty.

Ellie is interested in biology education and plans to obtain her teaching credential this year. While at CSUF, she worked to evaluate graphs and questions in science textbooks to determine how graphs are being presented to students and how students are being asked to interpret and create graphs. Her work helped us gain a better understanding of how to teach graph construction and interpretation.

Laura is interested in studying the effects of water stress on the growth and reproductive rate of Brassica tournefortii, and how drought condition affects the competitive interaction between B. tournefortii and California native forbs. She completed her undergraduate work at University of California, Irvine.

Ivey is researching the effects of companion planting on blueberry productivity in a local community garden that provides food for the homeless. The underlying goal of her research is to provide low-income individuals access to nutrient-dense fruits that would typically be too expensive to consume on a regular basis. After graduating from CSUF, she intends to become a naturopathic physician with a masters in Nutrition.