The stressful lives of plants

September 20th 2013 Simon Kuran
Natural & Physical Sciences
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Dry weather isn't ideal growing conditions for most plants, a reality most Wisconsin farmers know all too well after the past two summers. But dryness does provide fertile ground for Kate McCulloh’s research.

The newly-hired assistant professor of botany studies how plants deal with drought stress, with a particular focus on “trees and shrubs and the mechanisms they use to resist various degrees of water stress — from the everyday stress of losing water to the atmosphere that all plants experience, to the severe droughts that plants are dealing with more and more.”

McCulloh is eager to study species in this part of the country, after working at Oregon State University. When we quizzed the native Kansan, she told us about one particularly interesting plant, her childhood dreams of being a garbage collector, her love of cheese, and more.

McCulloh McCulloh

Q: Do you have a favorite plant?
A: All the plants I've worked with have a special place in my heart, but there are a few that really fascinate me. For example, Welwitschia mirabilis is this really weird gymnosperm (which means it’s closely related to pine trees and other conifers) that grows in the Namib Desert in Africa. It only makes two leaves that grow from the base and it lives for a really long time, so the leaves get all frayed and destroyed on the edges. They’re fascinating for many reasons, and I’d love to get over there and work on those.

Q: What courses will you teach?
A: I’ll teach the second semester of the introductory biology courses (Bot/Zoo/Bio 152), Physiological Plant Ecology (Bot 802), and another course that I’m still developing.

Q: What can students expect in the classroom?
A: I try to bring a lot of energy to lectures. People often think that plants are boring, but they’re actually amazing! They turn air and sunlight into sugar — how could that possibly be boring! I also try to get the students involved as much as possible, because engaged students are learning students.

Q: If you weren't in your field or academia, what would you be doing?
A: The first job I ever wanted as a kid was to be a garbage collector, because I thought they only worked one day a week (the day they collected my trash). Obviously, that dream was shattered. In high school, I was a life guard, and I totally loved it. I've always thought that if I grew up somewhere it didn't freeze, I’d probably be doing that full time.

Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: I have two little boys, so they consume a huge amount of time. We like to hike, camp and ski, and I also swim and play some soccer.

Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: Pretty much anything with cheese is guaranteed to please when I’m around.

To meet more new faculty members, see our full list of Q&As.