Experience

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  Gardens by the Bay

  • Singapore

  • Senior Researcher

    • Mar 2017 - Present
    • Singapore

    I'm the researcher in charge of writing and editing plant-related public interpretation materials at Gardens by the Bay. These include displays and exhibits, physical signage, social media posts, an app, and various publications. Basically, I'm helping to share the crazy, beautiful, and fascinating things plants do and are with our visitors, colleagues, and the world at large!

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  Cornell University

  • Ithaca, New York Area

  • Postdoctoral Fellow in Plant Breeding and Genetics

    • Aug 2016 - Mar 2017
    • Ithaca, New York Area

    Research on phenotypic diversity and GWAS in the Oryza rufipogon species complex, the wild ancestor of cultivated Asian rice

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  International Rice Research Institute

  • Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines

  • Consultant - Science and Education Communication Specialist

    • Jul 2013 - Jul 2015
    • Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines

    I have three broad responsibilities at IRRI's Training Center:1. Designing new and exciting educational programs that complement the Training Center's existing programs and the overarching mission of IRRI to develop improved varieties, agronomic technologies, and people to increase global food security and sustainability; 2. Support and improve the Training Center's existing programs: short-courses, workshops, internships, scholarships; and3. Work as a liaison between the research, communication, and training divisions of IRRI to improve interdisciplinary programs and dialogue.Specific Achievements:- Designed an experiential education curriculum, learning objectives, and assessment methods for a modular Rice Breeding Academy program in collaboration with scientists; also managed programlogistics, including budgets, and consultant hiring for web design, marketing and business planning - Developed or contributed to successful concept notes and proposals for an industry-collaborativeteaching laboratory, ASEAN region rice-related training, graduate scholarships, and fellowships - Designed model concept notes for Rice Camp, graduate student and scientist fellowship programs- Constructed a set of standard selection and management guidelines to facilitate successful student internship experiences at IRRI- Designed, facilitated, and reported on an institute-wide panel discussion and survey exploring staff views on educational directions, foci, and opportunities for the institute - Developed and implemented regular reflection and self-assessment opportunities for short courses- Created and facilitated grant proposal project component in annual Molecular Breeding course- Consulted for rice and plant breeding-related features in the National Geographic magazine article ‘The Next Green Revolution’ (pub. Oct, 2014); directed/coordinated NG staff and IRRI scientistinvolvement for onsite interviews and photoshoots

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  Cornell University

  • United States
  • Higher Education
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Graduate Reseach Assistant in Plant Breeding and Genetics

    • Aug 2007 - Jun 2013

    • ¬Composed a 100-accession panel of diverse wild rice (Oryza rufipogon) accessions as an association mapping resource, and managed pure seed production of the panel for four years• Designed, conducted, and collected results from greenhouse, lab, and field-based growouts and phenotypic screens on developmental, morphological, and reproductive traits on the wild panel • Collaborated and coordinated research with multiple national and international institutions, including the USDA, Chinese Academy of Science, and IRRI, to collect phenotypic data on the wild diversity panel, carry out high density genotyping and resequencing assays, and conduct genome wide association analysis to discover genes and regions underlying these traits and elucidate wild rice diversity and population structure in the context of cultivated rice

  • Smith-Lever Plant Breeding and Agricultural Extension Intern

    • May 2012 - Sep 2012

    • Conducted and integrated interviews and literature research to design a semi-permanent, renewable display on independent New York state crop variety testing by Cornell University as part of university plant breeding and cooperative extension responsibilities• Presented display and answered stakeholder questions at field day and ag. trade show events• Developed updated website content on interdepartmental varietal testing programs and results

  • Rice Course Evaluation Assistant

    • Jul 2008 - Jun 2012

    • As part of graduate research, after participating in the 2008 Rice: Research to Production course, initiated, and designed a process and impact evaluation of the course, focusing on cultural learning and understanding, networking, and goal fulfillment• Designed and conducted in-depth participant, staff, and scientist interviews, daily thought questions, and a post-course evaluation during the 2010 course, as well as two mid-term follow-up surveys to evaluate director, staff, and participant course expectations and outcomes • Developed a database, coded, and analyzed five years of course primary documents and participant information using the qualitative analysis software Atlas-TI• Completed a mid-term process and impact evaluation of the 5-year history of the course, with deliverables including a set of formal networking tools for continued participant and staff contact, short, mid, and long-term changes for further course refinement, and a set of content and methodological guidelines

  • NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute Intern

    • May 2011 - Oct 2011

    • Designed project proposal and received highly competitive NSF-funding for a collaborative project to conduct a field-grown phenotypic evaluation of a diverse panel of 100 wild rice accessions in China for life habit traits and ecotypic differentiation• Communicated extensively in Chinese and English with a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary team including our Chinese host lab, collaborator scientists, and field crew, to agree on experimental background and design and coordinate and carry out daily field observations• Formed networks and presented research at other scientific institutions and universities in China

• 

  Cornell University

  • Cornell University, in collaboration with the West African Center for Crop Impr.

  • Plant Molecular Marker Course Teaching

    • Feb 2009 - Feb 2010
    • Cornell University, in collaboration with the West African Center for Crop Impr.

    • Assisted in the curriculum design and teaching of a two-week graduate module on plant molecular markers for plant breeding graduate students at WACCI• Independently developed and ran a two-day long wet-lab exercise for ten WACCI students on perfect genotyping markers• Planned and implemented daily class evaluations, and assisted with the critical evaluation and development of graduate student breeding project proposals

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  Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research

  • Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Ithaca, NY.

  • Biofuel Curriculum Development Workshop Teaching Assistant

    • Jun 2008 - Dec 2008
    • Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Ithaca, NY.

    • Assisted in planning, organizing, and delivering a week-long workshop for high school and community college teachers from New York state on developing science curriculum around the scientific progress and social issues pertaining to biofuels• Provided individual feedback and led group discussions on lesson content and organization reviewing the draft and final finished curricula