Graduate Student Profile
Introducing: Scott Kalberer
Advisor: Dr. Rajeev Arora
Degree Seeking: Master of Science
Current Research Scott's main project for his MS has been researching the cold dehardening and rehardening of floral buds of deciduous azaleas (genus Rhododendron) and the relationship of these transitions to the azaleas' provenances. The ability to resist dehardening in response to transient warm temperatures in late winter/early spring and the ability to re-harden, if cold returns, are important survival strategies. Nevertheless, the dehardening resistance of an azalea was not associated consistently with the temperatures characteristic of its provenance or with its mid-winter hardiness. Not surprisingly, azaleas from warmer-climates have a lower mid-winter hardiness than those from colder-climates. Upon re-exposure to cold, all azaleas were observed to reharden following dehardening. Proteins known as dehydrins are believed to protect against freezing- and dehydration-stress; dehardening of azalea buds was associated with declining levels of dehydrins and their rehardening induced re-accumulation of these proteins. Two peer-reviewed journal articles have already been accepted for publication from this research. Scott is leaving shortly for the Holden Arboretum, located in Kirtland, OH (outside of Cleveland), where he will be conducting new experiments for the azalea study (for ~3 weeks) with the help of Dr. Steve Krebs, a Rhododendron specialist and long-time collaborator of Dr. Rajeev Arora. Scott is also part of an ongoing investigation in Dr. Arora's laboratory aimed at understanding the membrane biology of recovery from freeze-thaw injury in plants; he is using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana for these studies.
Hometown: Plainville, CT USA (1979-2003). Attended Hamilton College in Clinton, NY (1997-2001).
Extra Curricular Activities:
- Barn Dancing (e.g. square, contra) and Folk Dancing.
- Member of Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames and Unity Church of Ames.
Hobbies:
- Reading
- Cooking
- Fly- and spin- fishing
Favorite Movie: No idea.
Favorite Book(s): I don't have one in particular, but these are representative.
- Gould, Stephen. The Flamingo's Smile: Reflections in Natural History.
- Walter Kaufmann. The Faith of a Heretic.
- Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe.
- Christie, Agatha. Murder on the Orient Express.
Career Goals: After finishing my MS at Iowa State, ideally I hope to be employed as a laboratory technician/ research assistant, either with the government or an agrobusiness. I am also open to working with plants in a more applied and 'hands-on' fashion at a nursery or greenhouse. Whether years from now I will remain in research or eventually be raised to the rank of a mid-level bureaucrat or manager remains to be seen.
