Mimulus guttatus Research

Mimulus guttatus

Mimulus guttatus, also known as the yellow monkey flower, lives in wet habitats throughout western Northern America. M. guttatus is a popular model plant species due to its morphological variation, short generation time, and the ease with which its breeding can be manipulated.

The purpose of this study is to see how constitutive defense traits of the model plant species affect insect herbivores. The null hypothesis of this study states that defense traits of Mimulus guttatus do not have an effect on insect herbivores.

Flipped Class Research

Many universities, including Northern Arizona University, are experiencing rising enrollment leading to inevitably large class sizes. Efficiently using class time has become more important than ever. To reduce the need for physical presence in classrooms, a growing interest has been put on online courses. Another approach being taken is the flipped classroom method. It is believed that students benefit from the freedom that an online lecture gives them to learn at their own pace.

With the help of Dr. Adams, I will attempt to understand if the flipped class method is as efficient as a traditional lecture. Test grades will be compared for students in both sections being taught by Dr. Adams. Student opinions and thoughts on structure of the flipped course will be used to come to a conclusion about whether flipped courses are beneficial not only economically for the school, but also educationally for the students.  

About Me

My name is Jocelyn Garcia and I am currently a student at Northern Arizona University. I am a biomedical science major with minors in chemistry and Spanish. My research interests include plants genetics and different teaching styles in a university setting. 

I have been working alongside Dr. Alison Adams since August 2013 in efforts to understand the effectiveness of flipped courses at Northern Arizona University. My work with Dr. Liza Holeski began in August 2014. We aim to study the effect of plant defenses on herbivores.