18 February 2021

The scholarship has helped aid in completing my research and present my findings at the International Society of Horticulture Science’s IX Symposium on Lighting in Horticulture in Sweden this Spring, which was postponed due to the pandemic. [...] The findings from this study can be useful to growers, as not only will they save energy costs in the long term for switching to LED supplemental lighting but the can cut back on flowering time of some long-day plants which will allow them to increase the number of crop cycles they have each year and increase profits. [...] When I applied for this scholarship last year, my last replication of this research was still at the seedling stage and my other replication was coming to an end in the finishing stage. [...] Although I am still new in the role, I have so far enjoyed being a mentor to new and former graduate students and enjoy carrying out new floriculture research to promote plant resilience within the industry. [...] I am excited to see who the next awardee will be and hope to promote the scholarships and internships AFE provides to the undergraduate and graduate students I mentor in my new role in the future.