Indigenous Community and Professional Involvement

Summer 2023, Summer 2024

• Lead a group of NAECC volunteers to plant a Three Sisters Garden in the Lafayette area

• Shared stories of the Three Sisters Garden and educated the community about the history during monthly garden gathering events.

• See the article published by Purdue: Link

August 2022 - Present

• Partnered with the Growing Hope Program to harvest seeds from the Choctaw historical site in Mississippi. These seeds will be made available to tribal members in 2024.

Spring 2022, 2023, 2024

• Read, evaluated, and provided feedback for scholarship applications from high-school, undergraduate, and graduate students

Spring 2023

• Read, evaluated, and provided feedback for scholarship applications from high-school, undergraduate, and graduate students

January 2021 - Dec 2021

• Organized networking events (in-person and virtual) for the Alfred P. Sloan scholars.

• Lead meetings between the nine Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership Institutions

October 2022

• Helped plan outreach events for the Center, including birch bark canoe making, beading, and ribbon skirt making

January 2021 - July 2024

• Applied for (and received) funding for Mental Health Action Week ($1500)

• Organized two yearly fundraisers for the club ($200 each).

October 2025 - Present

• The Kansas Postdoctoral Outreach Project (K-POP) is a community-engagement initiative connected with The University of Kansas (KU) that brings together postdoctoral researchers and the public through hands-on science outreach events. The goal of K-POP is to make science accessible and engaging, to connect KU’s research community with the wider Kansas public, and to foster curiosity about science in a fun, interactive way. 

July 2025 - Present

• Envisioning a safe community for postdocs working in plant-related fields to share, discuss, and plan for our next career move. As postdocs, we are all going through the same process or trying to achieve the same objectives of landing a more independent position in industry or academia. Together as a community, we can peer-review our application materials, provide advice, share information about opportunities, and benefit everyone in the process.

• Plant Postdocs Website 

October 2024 - Present

• Bringing together over 200 researchers from across the region, the event showcases exciting work primarily from early-career researchers in genomics and genetics, alongside opportunities for networking and community building.

July 2024 - Present

• Strategic development meeting for increasing support to key underrepresented groups in the field of Plant Pathology using the new Marie and John Sherwood Fund for the Engagement of Underrepresented Minorities.

• The initiative also aims to foster interinstitutional collaborations, curriculum development, and programming for MSIs.

July 2024

• Strategic development meeting for increasing support to key underrepresented groups in the field of Plant Pathology using the new Marie and John Sherwood Fund for the Engagement of Underrepresented Minorities.

Spring 2020 - Fall 2023

• Communicated with members, department representatives, and the community.

• Organized fundraisers for professional development grants (more than $10,000)

• Organized career development series: Planning for a Career in Academia

• Started travel award for graduate students: Chunhua Legacy Travel Award ($1000 /year)

Spring 2022 - Present

• Assisted in amending the organization’s constitution to support graduate student needs.

• Implemented the Half-Baked Seminar Series for student practice talks.

• Helped plan the Center for Plant Biology 2023 Spring Retreat

October 2023

• Collaborated as team leader and representative to the Chair for my sub-committees.

• Aided with all symposium functions, including coordinating public relations (social media, apparel, registration, poster abstract compilation) and hospitality (food, transportation).

November 2022

• Collaborated as team leader and representative to the Chair for my sub-committees.

• Aided with all symposium functions by coordinating public relations - social media, apparel, and registration.