I am interested in the physiological mechanisms that allow for tip growth in highly polarized plant cells. Specifically, I focus on lily pollen tubes and to a lesser extend the moss Physcomitrella patens. These two systems allow for examination of the interplay between energy metabolism, cytoskeletal dynamics and vesicle trafficking. Recently I have been examining the role of a prominent actin structure at the pollen tube tip to determine whether it maintains polarized cell wall deposition. I strive to help students become life-long students of biology. This requires an ability to think critically and a basic facility with the essential concepts and vocabulary of biology. Critical thinking provides the foundation for all modern science; it enables students to transition from simple memorization to deductive reasoning. That being said, college level biology must also teach the vocabulary of science. I try to balance these two objectives. In my classroom I focus on interpreting data to deepen student knowledge of the subject matter; to this end, I use "inquiry" based active learning. Biology is an exciting science and I think students realize this only when they are exposed to the process of discovery, experimentation and interpretation as opposed to simply memorizing a litany of facts. I see drawing students into science as an active process as my primary role as a biology instructor.

Plant Physiology