Job description
My responsibilities include running my research laboratory, curating our fungal herbarium collection, teaching Mycology and Population Genomics, and providing service to the community such as seminars and fungal identification services.
Why did you choose this program?
I chose Humboldt State Biological Sciences because of the:
Coursework Diversity – you can choose between more than five classes with mycological content. Most universities offer one or zero.
Location – being nested between the Redwoods and the Pacific Coast, HSU courses are poised to study fresh, living fungal and botanical diversity year round. When nature becomes your classroom, you can’t help but fall in love with science.
Fieldwork - Botany courses regularly take field trips to the many diverse ecosystems surrounding HSU. This experiential learning reinforces in-class lectures and reading, making every class into a real-world treasure hunt.
The Greenhouse – Living specimens regularly make their way into the classroom from the live teaching collection in the green house. Hundreds of plant species from around the world await you in specialized rooms organized by climate!
How did this program prepare you for your job?
This program prepared me for my current job through:
Education – Botany at HSU laid a solid foundation of fundamental organismal specialty knowledge that enabled me to ask fascinating research questions about fungal biology.
Research – Through my research at HSU, I had the opportunity to describe and publish several new species of fungi from the Amazon rainforest. These accomplishments led to my acceptance in several prestigious graduate programs and later to my current position.
Teaching – My participation in teaching Botany and Mycology courses at HSU shaped my teaching philosophy and helped prepare me for the responsibilities of being a professor.
Networking – Invested mentorship offered opportunities to meet other Mycologists which led to further educational opportunities and to the establishment of an international collaborative mycological network through opportunities to present research at conferences etc.
What did you enjoy most about the program?
Small classes – I never took an upper division class of more than 32 students. This kind of interaction with instructors leads to high levels of learning and knowledge retention.
Organismal focus – HSU Botany alumni leave the program with a keen understanding of diversity in the plant and fungal kingdoms derived from the organismal focused coursework. I particularly enjoyed going to the forest and beach to collect plants and fungi for class projects.
Incredible faculty – The faculty in the Botany department strive to serve the students by being approachable.
What would you say to prospective students who are thinking about applying to this program?
If you wish to make a career of Botany or Mycology, there simply is no better program. You will be investing not only in yourself and your career but joining a prestigious network of successful scientists that will continually open new doors for you. Living in Arcata and studying Botany at HSU is one of the best decisions I ever made.
