Dr. Savanah Senn Represents Pierce College at National Conference and Highlights Student Research Successes
Dr. Savanah Senn, a full-time faculty member in the Plant Science Department at LA Pierce College, participated as an invited panelist at the ATE PI conference in Washington, DC, where she shared her experiences mentoring undergraduate researchers. In September, her research group published a paper in the Journal of Advanced Technological Education (JATE), highlighting the contributions of her students and their collaborative work. Three plant science students, Les Vion, Meika Best, and Adrianna Bowerman, received stipends from JATE URE for their efforts.
Student research projects have gained recognition through presentations and abstracts at several academic conferences, including the Genetics Society of America conference, the International Electronic Conference on Diversity, the IEC on Forests, and the Society for In Vitro Biology. Topics explored this year include essential oils extraction, the role of bacteria and fungi in sustainable farming, whole genome sequencing, RNA sequencing, and post-fire recovery studies conducted in the СÀ¶ÊÓƵ Gold Creek Preserve in Angeles National Forest.
A recent achievement was the discovery of a novel Pseudomonas sp. bacterium from the Pierce College Farm, with ongoing work to sequence additional potentially novel strains. Two notable student co-authors from this research are Karu Smith and Mathew Kostoglou.
Current projects include a collaboration with the Rodale Organic Institute to examine how replacing plastic row covers with cover crops affects soil conditions and microbial diversity. This work involves up-and-coming student researchers Maxim Recke, Brianna Zimmerman, and Xochitl Estrada.
Students interested in contributing to research in plant science can get involved through the following courses:
- PLNT Sc 896: Horticulture Projects
- PLNT Sc 103: Introduction to Soils
- PLNT Sc 711: Introduction to Plant Science
The Plant Science Department at Pierce College continues to provide opportunities for students to engage in meaningful research and develop skills for future careers in science and agriculture.
