I grew up in Duarte, CA with a breathtaking view of the San Gabriel Mountains right outside my home. While I have always been fascinated by plants, it was not until my undergraduate studies at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) that I learned I could pursue a career studying them. I received my Bachelors of Science in Biology with a music minor in 2022, unintentionally finding harmony between the two disciplines. While attending PLNU, I conducted independent research under biology professor Dr. Dianne Anderson who became my mentor in studying plants, even though it was not an official emphasis at the university. With my interest in ethnobotany and arid adapted plants, I studied the impact of seasonal changes on antibacterial properties of several plants native to the coastal sage scrub habitat in San Diego, CA (near my campus!). My love for teaching also developed through working as a teaching assistant for Organismal Biology for two years.

With a background in general biology, I am excited for a botany-focused education and to have opportunities to teach what I’ve been learning!

For my dissertation, I am working on a phylogenetics-based project on Eriogonum (wild buckwheats) subgenus Ganysma—a group of mostly annual, desert-dwelling species. I am particularly fascinated by the Eriogonum deflexum group within this subgenus which shares the trait of upside-down flowers! One of the goals of my research is to sample all of the members of subgenus Ganysma to understand species relationships on a molecular level. For the E. deflexum group, I am looking at morphology, ecology, and phylogenetics to assess what are currently recognized as species and varieties and recommend changes if need be. With this data, I am informing conservation efforts by identifying species in need of protection. Lastly, I am looking at the phytochemistry (chemistry of plants) of subgenus Ganysma species to see if there are any patterns across the group.

Photo descriptions:

Header: Kanab, Utah

Upper left: Mahima collecting Eriogonum tenellum var. tenellum (Tall Wild Buckwheat) [Photo by Rebecca Ryvola-Marez]

Below, from left to right: Close-up of Eriogonum deflexum var. deflexum inflorescence; Eriogonum nutans var. glabratum (Deeth Buckwheat) in Deeth, Nevada; Alamo, Nevada

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