I am an instructor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech. I have been teaching for over 25 years, starting as a graduate TA, then as an assistant professor at Roanoke college and now as instructor. As well as teaching, I conduct research into the fungal biome associated with roots of orchids. I feel that students learn best by doing and my primary goal is to merge teaching and research to provide engaging and meaningful learning experiences for undergraduates. My background is in plant biology with a focus on botany and horticulture. I love plants. I am fascinated by the intricacy of their growth and development, by the mechanisms and interactions that drive reproduction, and by the myriad uses humans have made of them. I feel that there are many stories in the unfurling of a flower or the germination of a seed and that these stories are told in the biochemical and genetic pathways that underly every aspect of plant growth and development.