I am an undergraduate research assistant in the Kunkel Lab at Washington University in St. Louis transitioning into the Damschen Lab. For the past two years I have worked independently as well as alongside graduate student Andrew Mutka on understanding the role of the plant hormone Auxin in plant defense pathways. The two major genes of interest to me have been the Yucca and SID2 genes that are believed to belong to separate defense pathways. Having worked with plants at a microscopic level I wish to build upon that knowledge at a macroscopic level. Although my interests are likely to change I am intrigued by plant community diversity. The math behind community modeling as well as the physics that governs seed dispersal are attractive to me as a possibility of combining my love for those areas of science with my love of plants. I am a junior majoring in Environmental Studies: Biology/Ecology, and hope to pursue a career in ecology.