Class of 2006

Elizabeth Connor

I'm a senior in IB, graduating in May. I transferred into biology from Mechanical Engineering at the end of my sophomore year. I'm really enjoying the biology courses, and trying to take as many as possible to make up for lost time. I also have a strong interest in math and hope to get a math minor. I'm from Downers Grove, IL, have two horses and ride competitively in my free time.

 

Jenny Cordes


I'm a first-year graduate student trying to figure out what part of plant biology interests me the most! My hometown is Eureka, IL, and for the past two summers there I was busy indentifying wildflowers in our local woods for a professor at my undergrad (Eureka College) who has a natural history website for the area.

Mit Dave

I am a senior in Integrative Biology. My hometown is Summit, IL, a suburb of Chicago. Currently, I am applying to pharmacy schools and also will take the MCAT in either April or August. I took this class because it seemed interesting and I have not studied a lot about plants. I am excited to be graduating in May, but as of now I have no idea what lies in the future.

 

Frank Dohleman

I was born in Streator, IL and lived my first 5 years in the town of Pontiac. I moved to Carlinville, IL and was raised there. I received a B.S. in General Biology from UIUC in 2001, then worked as a technician at the SoyFACE facility until 2003. In 2004, I became a technician for a Miscanthus project, and still work on biofuels as a graduate student. My specific interests are on the photosynthesis of two potential biofuel crops, Miscanthus (Miscanthus x Giganteus)and Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum).

Nick Lorenz

From St. Charles, IL, I came to the Univ. of Illinois because it sounded good. Biology always has been an interst of mine, but I have yet to completely narrow my field. I've completed many courses in Ecology, Education and Environmental Issues. Last year I became really interested in history and philosophy, and I now watch the History Channel too much. After graduation I may decide to get a completion program for teaching biology. I also play percussion frequently, and I'm a pretty good cook.

 

Justin McGrath

I was born in sunny Florida, but have lived in Illinois for over a decade now. I completed my undergraduate work at Bradley University in Peoria, and decided go get a Ph.D. in nearby UIUC. I enjoy science as well as various aspects of technology, so I'm happy that my current work combines both. It involves the mechanisms controlling leaf growth dynamics and how those mechanisms are altered by climate change.

Devin Nichols

I am from rural west-central Illinois and went to Franklin High School. I have been a student at the U of I since the fall of 1999. I graduated with my B.S. in Crop Sciences in 2003 and my M.S. in Crop Sciences, Plant Breeding and Genetics in 2005. I am now pursuing a Ph.D. in the PMPB program. My research is investigating the genetics of nitrogen use efficiency in maize. My career goal is to be a research scientist in plant breeding or molecular biology at an agricultural company or government research agency. I enjoy watching Illini sports and St. Louis Cardinals baseball in my free time.

 

Boram Seo

I am from South Korea as an exchange student. I am a Junior in Korea and majoring in Crop Science. My background may not be that strong in Plant Anatomy, but I will do my best!

Wannasiri (Eh) Wannarat

I come from Thailand. I have been here one and a half years. Originally, I was not a plant person because I did my B.S. and M.S. in Zoology. I took only Plant Taxonomy and Plant Ecology. Now I'm working in plant cell culture with Prof. Skirvin. My goal is to find a protocol for making synthetic seed from horseradish cell suspensions. I am also interested to study developmental pathways of horseradish embryogenic callus by using specific staining techniques.