Jamie Munn

Where are you from? What university are you attending or have attended?

I am originally from Ohio but live near Tampa, attending the University of South Florida.

What have you studied in science or are currently studying?

I have studied mostly plants--invasive species, botany, dendrochronology. I focus now on population biology, which means I study birth, death, and growth rates of organisms. My PhD work revolves around the changing growth rate in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris).

In the past I also did a study on size-selective predation in round gobies and dresseinid mussels.

Do you have any ideas on what a middle school student could do in Science right now?

Get a little soil, and some seeds, and a sunny spot in a window, and grow some plants! If you can get two kinds of seeds, you can determine which plants sprout first, or maybe if some plants need more water or light than others. You can measure their daily or weekly growth to give you a growth rate!

What or who inspired you to get into Science in the first place? What do you like about Science?

My dad, especially, but my family in general. We always had lots of interesting books around on topics like plants, animals, weather, and space. I also spent a lot of time gardening with my family and that was very interesting!

What advice do you have for a middle school student who is interested in becoming a scientist?

Find a topic you like, and learn as much as you can! It's okay if you decide later that it's less interesting, but until that point, learn all the cool stuff you can. Much of what you learn about one thing will connect to another, so you're getting a great foundation.

Free form