Research Lab Look In: Plant Defenses and Competition Strategies (Online Lecture Series)

Isabel Emanuel, USBG American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow; Abigail Koman, Graduate Student Researcher, Kent State University; William Parrot, Graduate Student Researcher, Virginia Tech
Want to know more about plant resilience and competition in their ecosystems? Join host Isabel as she and William explore Frazier fir resistance to balsam woolly adelgid, a significant pest affecting these trees. Then the conversation continues through a discussion with Abigail about the reproduction and competitive strategies of multiflora rose in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.

This program is part of a 2-part “Research Lab Look In” summer online lecture series featuring graduate student speakers and their research as it relates to the Garden’s current exhibit, “Fierce Flora: Tales of Survival and Demise.”

This program is offered as part of the Garden’s partnership with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The program is connected to our exhibit, “Fierce Flora: Tales of Survival and Demise.”

Isabel Emanuel, PhD

AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Isabel Emanuel is a AAAS Science Engagement Fellow at the United States Botanic Garden, where she focuses on developing research partnerships with academic institutions and supporting science education and outreach initiatives. Originally from Bel Air, Marylan...(read more)

Abigail Koman

Graduate Student Researcher

Kent State University

Growing up, Abigail saw firsthand how multiflora rose has taken over forests near her home, forming dense, thorny thickets that have pushed out the native flowers she loves. That early exposure inspired her to learn more about how invasive species affect natur...(read more)

William Parrot

Graduate Student Researcher

Virginia Tech

William graduated from Virginia Tech in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Resources Management. He came into his undergraduate program as a computer science major, but after taking an ecology class as an elective he knew there was no going back! D...(read more)