Emma Waltman

Research FELLOW

What do you want to get out of this summer?

“I just want the experiments to run.”

Emma spoke with a desperate and eager passion in her voice. Emma is a recent graduate of WashU, and this is her second summer at Tyson. Her working in Dr. Penczykowski’s lab during the spring semester has created an evident attachment to the project.

“I know there's going to be more surprises this summer. Maybe the caterpillars are going to really weirdly, sneakily escape from all their bags or something.”

“I'm very, very invested in these experiments. Mostly the microcosm and mesocosm, because I have spent, like, a semester working on them. I'm just really excited to see all the cages be built and set up. It's cool to be able to partially build something new, especially if Rachel’s going to repeat these experiments.”

In her description of the work she’s doing this summer, Emma can’t hide her love for field research. But she hasn’t always been strictly bound to this path.

“I spent a lot of my time as an undergraduate unsure if I wanted to do environmental science or environmental policy, but I’ve realized I love research. I like doing science. I like figuring things out. So to have that kind of “coat” put on me—the title of a researcher—I take a lot of pride in that.”

Emma worked with Rachel Penczykowski's Plant Disease team during summer 2019. Learn more about their host-pathogen coevolution research here.