Tessa Jennings found a passion for plant sciences as a high school FFA student participating in career development events. That passion has continued to grow as a student at the University of Missouri – especially after being selected as a member of the Freshman Research in Plants (FRIPS) Program in 2018.

For the past two years, Jennings, a junior majoring in plant sciences, has worked in the lab of Antje Heese, an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry.

“Being able to work in Dr. Heese’s lab has been one of the greatest things about my college experience,” Jennings said. “A standout experience for me is being able to see how all of my experiments come together when I am putting together my research presentations. Also, I really like being able to form relationships with my lab members and with other people who I meet through lab events.

“I would also like to acknowledge the FRIPS Program and the Dudley Alexander Undergraduate On-Campus Research Internships Gift Fund, through the CAFNR Undergraduate Research Internships, for making my research possible. I would also like to thank the Heese lab and my mentor, Kelly Mason, who is a biochemistry PhD student, for their continual support.”

Jennings grew up in Ashland, Mo., and while she didn’t have a background in agriculture, joining FFA opened the door to several new possibilities.

“Although I have always lived in a rural community, I wasn’t aware of the importance of the agriculture industry until high school,” Jennings said. “Becoming an active member in the National FFA Organization opened my eyes to agriculture and helped me determine that I wanted to go into this industry. Since then, it only felt natural for me to pursue a degree in plant sciences. I chose Mizzou because I wanted to be close to home, and I knew that CAFNR has an excellent program.”

Jennings applied to and was accepted as a member of the FRIPS Program during her first semester as MU.

“This program is designed to expose new Mizzou students who are interested in a plant biology career to plant research,” Jennings said. “I reached out to Dr. Heese because I was interested in the research that her lab performs on understanding how plants defend themselves against bacterial pathogens on a cellular level, and I have been working in the lab ever since.”

In the Heese lab, Jennings is responsible for research related to how clathrin-coated vesicle components make sure that proteins with immune functions are transported to the area within that cell at which they function. Clathrin is a protein that plays a vital role in coated vesicle formation.

“The Heese lab is interested in vesicular trafficking proteins that affect plant responses and help prevent pathogens from infecting the model plant Arabidopsis and the crop species maize,” Jennings said. “Every year, pathogens can be detrimental to farmers and significantly reduce their crop yield. By understanding how plants respond to pathogens, we can communicate new ways for farmers to prevent crop loss by pathogens. This is especially important for the production of enough food to sustain the rapidly growing world population.”

Jennings said that as a plant sciences student, it took her a little bit to adjust to some of the concepts of biochemistry. Heese said Jennings is now her go-to-person for when lab members have questions about plant anatomy or plant physiology.

“I truly enjoy having Tessa in my lab!” Heese said. “I appreciate that as an undergraduate majoring in plant sciences, Tessa contributes to the interdisciplinary nature that I try to nurture by recruiting students with diverse science backgrounds into my lab.

“Tessa is very observant and astute, in that she has identified growth defects in our mutant plants that eluded others in my lab. Tessa’s joy in working with plants is on clear display when she plates seeds, transplants seedlings into soil or performs plant growth measurements. Because of her ‘green thumb’ and attention to detail when handling our plants, I have asked Tessa last year to help train incoming PhD students in plant propagation techniques.”

Jennings’ undergraduate research work showcases CAFNR’s “RISE” Initiative, which includes Research, International, Service learning and Experiential learning. Jennings’ work falls under the Research section, which opens the door for undergraduate students to gain research experience throughout their time in CAFNR.

“Doing undergraduate research has helped me prepare for my future career in many ways,” Jennings said. “I have learned several techniques that are used in industry. I have learned how to analyze and present my data. I have also become more confident in my abilities to perform research and am becoming more independent.”

“Undergraduate research provides our students with critical hands-on experiences in a real-world setting that allows them to make educated decisions on whether bench research is the correct career path for them,” Heese added. “In addition, authentic bench-based training advances their skill sets and makes our undergraduate students more competitive in the next step of their career, whether it is applying for graduate school or for a job in industry.”

by Logan Jackson 

Please visit https://cafnr.missouri.edu/2020/10/an-interdisciplinary-connection/ to read the original article. 

Ho Lun had the initial idea of creating a multi-function protective coating that could be used for high temperature fuel cell in aircraft engines. Learning from his previous ASP mentor (Alex Jalbuena) that Dr. Ravi is an open-minded person who recruits students based on their dedication, he decided to start sitting-in in Dr. Ravi’s weekly research meetings and eventually showcase his idea to him. In the beginning, he recommended Ho Lun to work for a senior project team, who studies the corrosion behaviors of titanium alloys for biomedical application, to learn about research. While assisting his team, he dedicated his time toward reading literature, writing a well-developed proposal and actively learning how experiments are conducted. After Spring quarter, he started an undergraduate research team to implement this idea.

Ho Lun’s current research involves characterizing the corrosion and fatigue behaviors of porous alloys for low-temperature electrolysis application, and thereby determining their optimal performance according to their structure and composition. His interests of research also extend to developing protective coatings whose geometry and properties can be controlled via nano-structuring, electroplating, and inkjet printing methods.

He describes ego as being his biggest struggle. As stated earlier, his first official research project was the development of protective coatings for high temperature fuel cells application. This project only lasted 2 months because he discovered that he made an incorrect hypothesis at the beginning of his project. After discussing with Dr. Ravi and his team about this issue, they decided to switch direction before they put too much time on a project that may undermine their reputation. This was a difficult decision to make as he confessed his mistake to his teammates and mentor. Yet, considering the future impact of ego and stubbornness, he decided to face this incidentally honestly and openly. This decision was very significant in his research journey because it not only developed his necessary work ethic as a researcher, but he also stepped out of his comfort zone to become more open to different areas of research, such as low temperature water electrolysis, which later became his current research project.

He will be presenting his research in RSCA 2018, Nace Corrosion 2018 (Phoenix, AZ) and 2018 McNair Scholar Symposium (Berkeley, CA). Ho Lun’s short-term research goal is to understand whether the geometry of materials (shapes, sizes, mass distribution etc) can influence their physical, mechanical and electrochemical properties. The scale of what he desires to accomplish is enormous, and therefore, he needs to focus on developing the necessary skills and knowledge to make such an influence. This goal also defines the scope of his research to focus on characterizing how porous alloys respond differently when they have different porous structures. He aspires to pursue a Ph.D. in materials engineering and become a college professor who can not only conduct research in his area of interest, but also make science and engineering knowledge accessible to the public. So becoming a good researcher is fundamental to his academic and career development.

“How? I know nothing!”- Undergraduates who haven’t started their research.

From his experience as an ASP peer mentor and interaction with his peers, Ho Lun has come to understand that newcomers tend to underestimate themselves and undermine their potential because they do not understand what the professor is doing. Yet, this mindset is wrong. “First of all, no one expects you to know everything before starting a research, or you don’t even need to research as you know everything already. You discover and learn simultaneously as you research. Therefore, if you are interested or even have an idea, just go and talk to the professor. Go ask the professors about their research. You are not making a commitment, simply go and know this person better. What do you got to lose? Secondly, in case you have just started to do research, keep in mind that researching is not taking a class or working for a part-time. You should not limit your research works based on hour per week, because research takes anywhere from 10 to 70 hours per week depending on your progress. You really need to spend a lot of time understanding what you are doing.”

Article courtesy of Dr. Winny Dong and Cal Poly Pomona

Please visit https://www.cpp.edu/our-cpp/about/profiles/asp-spotlight.shtml to see Ho Lun Chan’s story and other ASP Researchers.

Previous College: Citrus College

Transfer Year: 2020

Major: Computer Science

CPP Faculty Mentor: Dr. Hao Ji

Student Quote: “The SURE program provided excellent opportunities to meet and talk with other students who were also experiencing similar struggles with their research. Listening and being able to talk with other students about our struggles helped me realize that I was not alone in how I felt.”

This year’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program had the pleasure of mentoring Citrus College student Rebecca Gio as she began her journey of research. Rebecca was one of fifteen students handpicked from a pool of applicants to join this summer’s 2020 SURE Cohort. The SURE program partners with community colleges and their STEM students for an 8-week program where they participate in high-level faculty-mentored research projects. Students who participate in SURE also have the opportunity to present their culminating research projects at the annual Cal Poly Pomona Creative Activities & Research Symposium (CPP CARS).

Being a computer science major, Rebecca has developed an interest in artificial intelligence. Because of this, Rebecca’s goal throughout her time in the program was to explore her interest and utilize this time to gain experience within her field. Rebecca’s research project was titled: “Synthetic Data Generation for Deep Learning-Based Object Detection.” In this project, she was investigating the use of synthetic data to lower the cost of preparing labeled data for training deep learning models. In particular, an automated pipeline was designed to generate a large dataset of labeled images using realistic 3D models of real-world objects and train deep learning models for object detection tasks. Rebecca also mentioned that her project proposes a deep neural network that is trained with both synthetic and photorealistic synthetic data that can detect objects more efficiently. Rebecca’s project was guided by one of Cal Poly Pomona’s Computer Science Department faculty mentors, Dr. Hao Ji.

Although her project was a success, Rebecca exclaimed that she struggled tremendously throughout the whole program. Rebecca, like many, was completely new to the research realm before the summer program began. She had no experience with any of the software or programming languages that she needed to use for her research. However, with some motivation and determination, Rebecca conquered her struggles by utilizing the support of her mentor and fellow SURE students, and by quickly becoming good friends with Google search.

The SURE program allowed Rebecca to work with other students who were also experiencing similar struggles with their research. She said, “Listening and being able to talk with other students about our struggles helped me realize that I was not alone in how I felt. The support we received on how to write a research paper, how to present, etc. are skills that I will take with me even beyond this summer.”

Rebecca emphasized that the myth that you need to be an A student in order to participate in research is not true at all. In the beginning of her community college journey at Citrus, she had a 0.7 GPA and was placed on academic probation three times. However, with an adjusted mindset and the proper support from faculty and programs, Rebecca was able to change her academics around and obtained a final total GPA of 3.35! Rebecca’s academic journey has truly been remarkable.

Rebecca stated: “To anyone going through something similar, trust me, I know it feels like the world is falling. But looking at all the trips and bumps, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I learned how to get up when I fall, find people who will support me, and reach for whatever I want no matter my circumstance.”

At the end of the SURE program, Rebecca took away three research skills: communication, leadership, and determination. From these skills, Rebecca has built confidence as a student, researcher, and employee. Moreover, Rebecca has learned and grown immensely; her accomplishments embody what the SURE program is all about.

This Fall 2020, Rebecca joins Cal Poly Pomona as a transfer student in Computer Science. The Office of Undergraduate Research would like to congratulate Rebecca on all of her accomplishments thus far. We wish you the best of luck at Cal Poly Pomona! Your determination and achievements will lead you to greatness in the future ahead.

Advice to Students

“Ask questions. If you don’t have enough experience, don’t think that you are not eligible. If you communicate and are not afraid to ask questions, you will do very well even if you don’t have any experience in what you want to do research in. Don’t be afraid to ask questions; your team and faculty mentor are there to support you!”

Article courtesy of Dr. Winny Dong and Cal Poly Pomona

Please visit https://www.cpp.edu/our-cpp/about/profiles/sure-profiles.shtml to view the original article.