Student introduction: Mariana Fontana Westphalen, Animal Science M.S. Student

My name is Mariana Fontana Westphalen, I am on the second semester of a M.S. program in Animal Science, being advised by Dr. Tara. L Felix and focusing my studies on beef cattle nutrition. I am original from Brazil, my family has some agricultural background, my father is a farmer and so was my grandfather, and this might sound somewhat cliché but all that had some influence on me when choosing a career.

So, I decided to study agronomy. Last year I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Agronomic Engineering at University of São Paulo and came straight to State college in pursue of a M.S. degree. My interest in cattle begun during my second year of college on an internship with ruminant nutrition, where I had the opportunity to work both with sheep and cattle.

I met my current advisor in a beef and dairy conference in Brazil in 2015, I went to speak to her and  ended up in an internship under her supervision in Illinois, she was a professor there back then. After my internship I went back to Brazil, finished my undergrad and applied for a M.S. here.

I look forward to finishing my studies. In the short term I would like to work with extension, the academic world could be more appealing to me if I didn’t feel awkward teaching in a classroom environment, but I hope this class will help perhaps changing that, and in a longer term I see the possibility of going back home to work with my family.

Student Introduction: Jesse Starkey, Entomology M.S. Student

My name is Jesse Starkey and I'm in my final semester of my M.S. program in the Entomology department. I'm being advised by Dr. Etya Amsalem on my work that focuses on the evolution of reproductive division of labor in social insects.

Originally from Montebello, New York, my interests in entomology did not begin when I was younger (although I was interested in animals and the environment). Starting out interested in birds of prey, wildlife management, and the reintroduction of native species to the U.S, my interests shifted towards entomology after participating in a summer REU (research experience for undergraduates) at the Mountain Lake Biological Station where I was able to work with my current favorite insect, the bumble bee.

I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Environmental and Sustainability Science from Cornell University. During the latter part of my undergraduate career I became interested in the evolution of social behavior in various systems, insects being the most prominent. However, with little to no experience working with insects in general I figured it would be a good idea to put myself out there and work with the system before I journey forward with my education.

After completion of my degree I worked with Purina on developing a alternative honey bee protein supplement that has since made it to market as Hearty Bee. Since then I've returned to my roots as a budding entomologist and began studying aspects of the evolution of eusociality in insects, which led me to the Amsalem lab were I currently work.

I'm excited for this course because as a scientist I have an obligation, that often goes ignored, to convey the ideas and discoveries in the field to friends, family, and the community in a way that facilitates interest and growth. This class seems like a great opportunity to hone my ability to do this.

Student Introduction: Katie Hirl, PhD candidate in Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Good day all, 

I am a Midwest girl drawn out east to attempt a PhD in agricultural and biological engineering with the goal of teaching engineering. Originally raised in Minnesota, I fell in love with chemistry at a young age and later became acquainted with bioenergy systems from my Father who works in the field.  Upon graduation from high school, I decided to pursue engineering to work in the bioenergy industry. 

I spent my studies in rural Atchison, Kansas at Benedictine College working towards degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering. Two months in to my first semester I was asked to tutor a fellow engineer in chemistry. From that one request, I became a fixed engineering tutor for the rest of my studies and loved every minute of it….. even the ones spent helping my peers understand distillation columns at 1:00 am.

Engineering is a beautiful field because it takes the elegant complex workings of the natural world and applies them to solve problems. By my final semester last spring, I had found that helping someone else understand the beauty I had spent four years studying was even better than engineering work itself. 

Thus, I arrived at Penn State to take the next steps towards becoming a professor and switched to ag and bio engineering to spend my research time on a system called anaerobic digestion (my favorite renewable energy technology). I am taking AEE 530 to start gathering up and practice skills I will need to effectively facilitate learning. 

I look forward to working with all of you as we go through the semester to become better teachers in our varied disciplines.

Student Introduction: Shelby Kilpatrick, Entomology Ph.D. Student

Howdy!

My name is Shelby Kilpatrick and I am a second-year Ph.D. Student at the Pennsylvania State University. I am in the Entomology Program and am specializing in Melittology (the study of bees). As a Fellow in the Integrated Pollinator Ecology Graduate Training Program, I am co-advised by Dr. Margarita López-Uribe and Dr. Heather Hines. My current research projects include updating the checklist of bee species in Pennsylvania (#BeesofPA) and investigating the evolutionary history of squash bees [Hymenoptera: Apidae: Eucera: (Peponapis) and (Xenoglossa)], specialist pollinators of pumpkins, squash, and other plants in the genus Cucurbita.

I am originally from Copper Canyon, Texas. My interest in insects started at a young age. I find insects fascinating and have pursued multiple opportunities to learn about them and how they impact our world. When I joined 4-H in 2004, I was first introduced to entomology as a science and it quickly became my main project. In 2007, I began beekeeping as a Youth Scholarship Student in the Collin County Hobby Beekeepers Association (CCHBA). 

Through my activities in 4-H and CCHBA, I was selected as the 2013 Texas Honey Queen, a spokesperson for the Texas Beekeepers Association. While serving in this role, I traveled across the state to educate audiences of youth and adults about honey bees, their pollination services, and how anyone could help preserve them. I reached 400,000+ people at 84 events while strengthening my leadership, communication, organization, coordinating, networking, and syllabus development skills through this rewarding experience.

In May 2017, I graduated from Texas A&M University (TAMU), College Station, Texas with my Bachelor of Science degree, double majoring in Entomology and Agricultural Leadership & Development (A-Whoop!). While at TAMU, I was inspired to become involved in research projects by my professors and their graduate students. I also gained a unique perspective on education and leadership through the courses I took in my double major program.

I am incredibly thankful to have had many mentors throughout my life who have made it possible for me to live my dreams. I look forward to creating future opportunities to instill a desire to learn in others, and inspiring them to make a difference in our world, regardless of where their passion lies.

I recognize that each talk/presentation I give to an audience is the only chance that I have to positively and permanently impact their outlook on bees, other insects, entomology, agriculture, research, and science as a whole. I also realize that I can always work towards making the best better; I actively seek ways that I can improve so that I can positively influence future audiences. In an effort to reach this goal, I am participating in AEE 530 and earning PSU’s Teaching Certificate. This spring, I am also serving as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for Dr. Kelli Hoover’s ENT 202: The Insect Connection course.

I aspire to pursue a career as a professor and principal investigator, integrating native bee research with educating new generations of scientists. I am also dedicated to translating scientific results into language that is interesting and understandable to all audiences, so that everyone has access to accurate information. 

I am really excited about the opportunities that I will have to continue positively refining my teaching and learning methods, alongside my fellow classmates, as a part of AEE 530 this semester! Specifically, after joining the first AEE 530 class earlier this week, I believe my time in this course will build off of my prior experiences and allow me to gain/enhance skills which will allow me to become a successful instructional leader in entomology.

If you’re interested in learning more about my academic and extracurricular activities, I invite you to visit my ePortfolio: http://shelbykkilpatrick.weebly.com/

Additionally, my Twitter handle is @SKK_Anthophila, and you can best reach me at my e-mail address, skk30@psu.edu.

Thanks & Gig’em!

Student Introductions: Steph Herbstritt, PhD Student, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Edward Abbey wrote, “may your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.” If Abbey had known me, he would have ended that sentence with “Steph”. 

Hi class! Glad to meet you! I’m a local Central Pennsylvania farm girl who returned to Happy Valley to pursue a doctorate in Agricultural & Biological Engineering. I think that decision stems back to that day I bumped my head, very hard (wink). When I defended my Master’s thesis at the University of Illinois, I bolted out of academia, booked it to the real world, and planned to never come back. But plans change and here I am, back, in pursuit of true science, creative engineering, and the ability to impact our world through teaching, outreach, and farmer extension. 

I’m a 2^nd semester PhD student working in the Tom Richard lab with a focus on the synergies between water quality and bioenergy (did someone say anaerobic digestion of food waste, manure, and perennial conservation grasses?). I’m an avid runner, climber, and certified river rat. My love of sustainable agricultural and farmer extension stems from my roots here in Happy Valley. And my excitement to teach stems from this seemingly never-ending desire to empower fellow farmers and bright young minds (like my own kiddo, James). I want my career path to focus on sharing knowledge with others in ways that inspire and encourage positive change. And that’s why I’m taking this course—to learn how to be a better at that, to be a better teacher, to be a better extension leader, and to build a tool box that can help me along the way.

Looking forward to embarking on the adventure with you! 

Student introduction: Isamar Amador Diaz, MS Student, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

¡Hola a todos!

You might be asking how I moved from a sunny island to a snowy state. I guess I would have to explain my background first to answer that question.

I come from a generation of Puerto Rican farmers who started working in sugarcane plantations and now own dairy farms in the island. My childhood was filled with many exciting events, like waking up at 4am to help a cow give birth. The first car I ever drove was a tractor. I was so small that I had to stand with both feet on the clutch to start it. These experiences made me appreciate the role of agriculture in a person’s life.

However, milk sales along with the number of active dairy farms have decreased more than 20% over the past ten years in Puerto Rico. Since engineers are known for solving problems through innovation, I decided to pursue a double bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Economics at the University of Puerto Rico. During my undergraduate degree, I went to several conferences about energy and sustainability. These introduced me to the bioenergy field!

In Fall 2017, I enrolled in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering MS Program at Penn State with one goal in mind: to help solve the critical problems my family, the agricultural sector, and Puerto Rico are facing.  

How? My research intends to biomimic the cow’s digestive system for anaerobic digestion of grasses. I will be looking at technical and economic factors involved in producing biogas through this biomimetic strategy. My love for cows, sustainable energy and economics are a perfect match! I’m ok with leaving the tropical weather for a while when such a great research opportunity is available here.

My aim is to someday comeback as a professor to my alma matter, the University of Puerto Rico, and help establish a program focused on Bioenergy. I believe this course will give me essential teaching tools that I will need to reach my ultimate goal.