Sara Long, RaMP Participant

Working with Dr. Juan Osorno

What are you working on right now?

I am bouncing between two projects right now. I am finishing up on testing some of our dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) varieties for photoperiodism using greenhouse growth rooms. I simulated daylight hours in two separate rooms using the same varieties and measured days to maturity to see if the variety is photoperiod sensitive or not. Since plants take time to grow and collect data from, I also am working on gathering and analyzing historical data to ascertain seed yield gains in our dry bean breeding program since its inception. This involves entry of all historical data, analyzing patterns, and inputting covariables such as weather into statistical analyses. It’s really quite interesting to see how the program has evolved and how our breeding lines have expanded!

What is your favorite part of this experience?

My favorite part of this experience is networking with many different mentors and RaMP mentees. Getting to learn from them in different aspects and collaborating is something to be cherished. Networking is fundamental to science and since I am interested in so many fields of science, this program has given me the opportunity to meet with people in multiple fields that can help me succeed in the future.

What do you enjoy most about Fargo?

I love the small town feel of Fargo. I’m from Phoenix, AZ which has a population itself of over 4 million people. So Fargo sitting at around 150k feels small town to me (but still has all of the entertainment of a big city!) Since I love nature so much, Fargo’s surrounding areas are full of nature walks, state parks, and gorgeous scenic drives just a few minutes outside of town!