Education

• Indiana University-Bloomington

  BS Elementary Education with Distinction

  Elementary Education with General Science minor, Middle School endorsement
  
  

• Purdue University

  PhD

  Plant Horticulture (Plant Physiology)
  Completed a dissertation using 15N and 13C to trace the biosynthesis of amino acids in Lemna minor L. Research was completed at the University of East Anglia using a C/N Stat, analogous to a Turbidostat used in yeast metabolic studies. Plant samples were grown using 13CO2 and 15NH3, extracted in methanol, and amino acids measured by HPLC and Gas Chromatography. The label of the amino acids was determined by mass spectrometry-gas chromatography using EI-GC-MS. Sugars were separated via paper chromatography and recovered by elution, derivatized to their alditol esters and the label measured via gc-ms. Computer models were used to model the GS/GOGAT cycle.
  

• Purdue University

  Postdoctoral Assistant

  
  Worked on a project to transform Indian Mustard to produce methyl-seleno-cysteine. Took samples of transformed Arabidopsis and other plant samples to the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory to determine via X-ray Absorption Spectrometry to what Se was bound. Continued to use ion separation chromatography to measure amino acids, organic acids, sugars, and charged compounds in plant sample extracts. Utilized Time of Flight - mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, and gc-ms to identify and quantify plant components.
  

• Indiana University Bloomington

  MBA not completed

  Business
  I entered the IU-Bloomington MBA Program when it was ranked 15th by Business, with a Merit Scholarship and an 18 hour per week Graduate Assistantship, as the tutor for the required Statistics course. I withdrew after seven weeks and the Graduate Assistantship was converted to regular hourly employment. I learned to sequence DNA the next semester under the direction of Dr. Stefan J. Surziski. I utilized the Sanger method of dd-NTP incorporation to randomly terminate 35S-labeled DNA. I was assigned the sixth largest BamHi fragment of the chloroplastic DNA of Clamydomonas reinhardtii, plus mating type.