#14 - Interview: Dr. Natalie Christian, Educator and Fungal Ecologist

Today on the podcast, Laura and Carli talk to Dr. Natalie Christian. Topics of discussion are teaching college courses during the pandemic and the importance of mentorship, allyship, and encouragement from supervisors, mentors, and advisors. Dr. Christian teaches topics such as contraception, evolution, climate change, which can be uncomfortable topics for many students; we discuss how she approaches these conversations by providing students with the science, which can help students make informed decisions as citizens. Lastly, we discuss her research interests and engagement with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, where she studied microbiomes in cacao plants.  Dr. Christian is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Louisville. She is broadly interested in the community ecology of plant microbiomes, and how scientists can harness plant-associated microbiomes to improve crop health. She obtained a PhD in Biology at Indiana University and doctoral minor and graduate certificate in college pedagogy. She is currently teaching introductory biology for non-majors and she is researching how plant-associated microbes affect plant physiology. She has a passion for teaching and outreach and we think you will find her perspective on science education very relevant to the current state of social and political affairs.  You can find Dr. Christian at www.nataliechristian.com Featured Song: Cry Me a River (Cover) by Laurence

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