Beyond the Bench

Why are plant and insect identification services essential, and how much fun is it to work at a plant disease and insect clinic? (Hint: a lot of fun.) Dr. Matt Bertone, Director and Diagnostician at the NCSU Plant Disease & Insect Clinic, discusses all things insect identification, specifically with flies. He also gets into why spiders are awesome, and he shows us some of his beautiful macro photography!

Follow Matt on Twitter @Bertonemyia.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

What is the role of science policy in today's America, and how can scientists transition from academia into the policy world? Dr. Brian Gray, a former Congressional Science Fellow, discusses his path from being an evolutionary biology Ph.D. student in California to working with legislators in D.C., why science policy impacts every person's life, and how scientists can play a role in shaping policy!

Connect with Brian.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

What complexities play into the management of weeds in crop systems, and what does a weed scientist do for their job on a daily basis? Dr. Lynn Sosnoskie, a weed scientist at the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, discusses the variety of tactics she employs to control weeds, why weed management is more complex than people typically think, and how she got into the field of agricultural science in the first place!

Follow Lynn on Twitter @LynnSosnoskie.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

In this episode, Dr. Noah Whiteman, an Evolution Professor at UC-Berkeley, shares his story of growing up in northern Minnesota, being a 1st-generation college student, navigating starting his lab while being the first out LGBTQIA+ faculty member in his departments at the University of Arizona and UC-Berkeley, and finding joy and unexpected discoveries through his research on various organisms.

Learn more about The Whiteman Laboratory here.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

How can America's wartime victory gardens be reimagined to inform an increasingly uncertain future, and how can digital tools be used to create compelling narratives around food and farming? Dr. Rose Hayden-Smith - an Emeritus University of California (UC) Cooperative Extension Advisor in Digital Communications in Food Systems & Extension Education, the Editor of the UC Food Observer, and a Food and Society Policy Fellow - discusses how her journey through a Ph.D. in US history and working with many forms of technology led to a career in extension, how she started the UC Food Observer, and how gardens are an engaging first step towards uniting our communities and joining up the thinking between policy areas!

Learn more about Rose, The Victory Grower, here.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

How can scientists play a critical role in public policy, and how can grad students get involved? Morgan Dundon and Stephanie Piper from UC Riverside's Center for Science to Policy discuss their experience in public policy as graduate students, the professional development opportunities they host on campus, and what they have learned from legislators!

Learn more about UC Riverside's Center for Science to Policy here.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

How can we enable a global response to disease by creating low-cost vaccines using plant viruses? Dr. Larry Grill, the Dean of Research and a Research Professor at the Keck Graduate Institute, discusses his research in vaccine development and disease diagnostics in developing countries, how his experience founding Large Scale Biological Corporation led to the development of vaccine production technology, and his undergraduate teaching philosophy!

Watch Larry's TEDx talk on enabling a world response to disease here.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

How do transposable elements contribute to gene and genome evolution, and what are the benefits of a hands-on laboratory education for undergraduates? Dr. Sue Wessler, a Professor of Genetics at the University of California Riverside and Home Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), discusses her career researching fragments of DNA that can insert into new chromosomal locations, how she has helped to make the NAS more inclusive, and the Dynamic Genome course-based undergraduate research experience that she developed and implemented at two universities!

Learn more about the Wessler Lab at wesslerlab.ucr.edu.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

How can we use quantitative modeling to solve plant disease issues around the world, particularly huanglongbing? Dr. Neil McRoberts, a Professor of Plant Pathology at UC Davis, discusses the intersectionality of his epidemiology research, how he got interested in the field of plant pathology at an early age while growing up in a small Scottish town, and how there's room for everyone in science, even those who despise labwork!

Follow Neil on Twitter @UnderGardener1.

Learn more about the tools used in the battle against huanglongbing, and view research snapshots by Neil and other Citrus Series guests by visiting the Science for Citrus Health website and following along on Twitter and Instagram @sci4citrus.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

Why is plant virology important for biosecurity, and how can we form international professional connections at conferences and via Twitter? Dr. Adrian Fox, a Senior Plant Virologist at Fera Science Ltd., discusses his research and plant diagnostic work, what it's like to be an industry scientist, how he communicates science via his dog's Twitter account, and his myriad of activities outside of science, including playing the trombone and baking.

Follow Adrian on Twitter @Blisteredcanker and his dog @PlantpathDog.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

What particular challenges do first-generation college students face, and how can science education impact their experience? Alex Cortez, the Academic Coordinator and Instructor of the Dynamic Genome Program at UC Riverside, discusses his educational journey, the importance of undergraduate research experiences, and advice for other first-generation college students.

Follow Alex on Instagram @ill_profe.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

What is the psychological toll of COVID-19, and what can we do to support each other during this time? Dr. Erin Berman, a Clinical Psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), discusses how isolation is affecting the mental health of people of all ages and walks of life and what steps we can take to get through this time.

Learn more about the NIMH and get the latest COVID-19 information here.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and Instagram at scicommucr, and visiting our website.

How can underrepresented students in academia best be prepared to succeed in their professional lives? Dr. Gabriella Sanguineti, a Research & Outreach Coordinator and Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at PRISM at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, has endless advice from her journey through academia and experience advocating for students! Dr. Sanguineti recognizes the many people who helped her get to her current position, and the general importance of networking and mentorship in one's career path.

Learn more about Dr. Sanguineti and PRISM here.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and Instagram at scicommucr, and visiting our website.

What does a virologist do, and how is the University of California Riverside (UCR) working to keep people safe from COVID-19? Dr. Juliet Morrison, an Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Plant Pathology at UCR, discusses her research on host responses to viral pathogens, the COVID-19 pandemic, and her journey into virology after she moved from Jamaica to the United States!

Follow Juliet on Twitter @JumoDr.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and Instagram at scicommucr, and visiting our website.

When it comes to dragonfly evolution, are all the questions answered? No! Dr. Jessica L. Ware, an Assistant Curator in Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History, discusses her research on the evolution of insects (dragonflies, in particular), her journey of overcoming barriers throughout her education as an African American woman, and the importance of increasing access to science, technology, engineering, and math education for People of Color, young and old.

Follow Jessica on Twitter @JessicaLWareLab and learn more about her work at the American Museum of Natural History.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and Instagram at scicommucr, and visiting our website.

What are heterogeneous catalysts, and how can they help address the world's environmental and energy challenges? Dr. K. Leslie Abdul-Aziz, an Assistant Professor in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of California Riverside, discusses her research on sustainable catalysis and materials, her entrepreneurial spirit, and the importance of research groups that have a diversity of backgrounds encompassing unique experiences and identities.

Follow Leslie on Twitter @GAALabatUCR and learn more about her Sustainable Catalysis and Materials Group.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and Instagram at scicommucr, and visiting our website.

How can we fight against citrus greening disease? Dr. Emilyn Matsumura, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis, discusses her research on plant and insect viruses and the importance of finding community as an international scholar.

Follow Emilyn on Twitter @MatsumuraEE.

Learn more about the tools used in the battle against huanglongbing, and view research snapshots by former Citrus Series guests by visiting the Science for Citrus Health website and following along on Twitter and Instagram @sci4citrus.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

How can we use genetic engineering to combat plant disease? Dr. Jim Thomson, a research geneticist at the USDA, explains his research on using genetic engineering to improve citrus greening disease tolerance and the perks of working as a government scientist for the USDA.

Learn more about the tools used in the battle against huanglongbing, and view research snapshots by Jim and other Citrus Series guests, by visiting the Science for Citrus Health website and following along on Twitter and Instagram @sci4citrus.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

How can engineered genes escape plants? Dr. Norm Ellstrand, a distinguished professor and geneticist at UC Riverside and the director of the California Agriculture and Food Enterprise (CAFE), discusses his career-long fascination in applied plant evolutionary biology, his process for writing popular science, and his love of birding.

Follow Dr. Norm Ellstrand on Twitter @ellstrand and read his book, Sex on the Kitchen Table, to learn more about the romance of plants and our food.

Learn more about how CAFE is improving lives with science while having fun at cafe.ucr.edu and on Twitter @CAFE_UCR.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

What is huanglongbing, and what are scientists doing to combat it? Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell, a research entomologist at UC Riverside and the director of the Lindcove Research and Extension Center, gives an overview of integrated pest management - how scientists fight pests that threaten our crops - and shares her experience as one of the first women in agricultural entomology.

Follow Beth on Twitter @UCANRBethGC.

Learn more about the tools used in the battle against huanglongbing, and view research snapshots by Beth and other Citrus Series guests by visiting the Science for Citrus Health website and following along on Twitter and Instagram @sci4citrus.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

Why are native bees important, and what can we learn from studying their physiology? Dr. Hollis Woodard, an assistant professor of entomology at UC Riverside, discusses her research on bumble bees, the challenges and rewards of being a principal investigator, and the evolutionary questions that initially set her on a path to becoming a scientist.

Follow the Woodard Lab on Twitter @woodardlab and visit their website at woodardlab.com.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.

What does an extension specialist do, and how can good mentorship be career-changing? Dr. Monique Rivera, an extension specialist at UC Riverside, discusses her love of agriculture, her career path from art-enthusiast to scientist, and her experiences with mentorship.

Follow Dr. Monique Rivera on Twitter @moniquejrivera.

Learn more about the tools used in the battle against huanglongbing, and view research snapshots by Monique and other Citrus Series guests, by visiting the Science for Citrus Health website and following along on Twitter and Instagram @sci4citrus.

Learn more about the students producing this podcast and their science communication efforts by following us on Twitter @SciCommUCR and visiting our website.