Careers in Botany - An International Journey to a Botany Career
Dr. Jenny Xiang, North Carolina State University
My journey to botany with a specialty in plant systematics dates
back to the early eighties in China and has continued in the US
since 1989. It’s a journey of adventure, excitement, and
hard work that would not have been possible without the help and
support of my colleagues, friends, and family.
It began in China…
It is hard to believe that with a childhood dream of becoming
an astronaut, I end up as a botanist with a passion. The curiosity
that developed from listening to legends and tales, and from pondering
the moon-lit night sky planted a strong desire in my heart when
I was little to seek answers to the many questions I have about
the great universe. Unexpectedly, this aspiration was overtaken
by a growing interest in biology after I entered college.
Born in a small town in southern China and growing up with the
Cultural Revolution and other political movements in the seventies,
I had only a total of nine years of education from 1st grade through
high school where the word biology was never seen and replaced
by field labor in the rice and vegetable fields. Fortunately,
the year I graduated from high school, the Cultural Revolution
ended and higher education in universities was reestablished.
High-school graduates could attend colleges directly on a competitive
basis without having to be sent to the countryside for a second education.
I felt so lucky to have been part of this historical time of
change. In my application to colleges, I put all the natural sciences
I knew as the major (e.g., mathematics, chemistry, and physics).
However, I was admitted by Zhongshan University (Zhongda) to study
plant genetics in the biology department. Fortunately, I was still
quite young (15 years old), and didn’t know much about the
world anyway, so it wasn’t hard for me to take on something
completely unknown.
The biology department opened a whole new world for me. For the
four years, I did almost nothing except study. The plant genetics
track of the biological curriculum at Zhongda had a long list
of required biological classes (there were no electives at that
time), besides the general common courses such as one year of
advanced mathematics, chemistry, physics, political economics,
and English. Some of the biological courses included one year
of general botany (morphology and anatomy), and one year of plant
systematics, one year of plant physiology, one year of biochemistry,
one semester of cell biology, general genetics, medical genetics,
plant genetic breeding, general zoology, animal physiology, microbiology,
biotechnology, as well as biological English, etc. In addition,
a senior thesis based on a research project conducted in the last
semester was required for graduation. Among all the courses, the
plant systematics course attracted my greatest interest.
Growing up in a mountainous subtropical area with green plants
all year around, I had always puzzled about what they were. The
plant systematics course taught me how to identify plants, how
they are similar and different and how they are classified. I
was so happy when I could name the plants I saw on campus, in
the field, in a park, or on the street, or could tell what families
they belonged to and why. I was fascinated by the great wonder
of structural diversity in flower, fruit, and leaves. Most students
in my class did not like the course due to overwhelming terminology
and family characters. Somehow, I was an exception. That was the
beginning of my journey into Botany, and particularly to plant
systematics (the science of plant biodiversity, in short). The
four years of college study laid the foundation for my future
career in botany I enjoy so far. The college life left me with
a wonderful memory and more desire for seeking new knowledge in
plant biology.
During the early 80s, there was a great need for young people
in research institutions and universities in China. Graduated
students were assigned jobs by the government according to the
need. After graduation, I was assigned a position in the department
of taxonomy, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS) in Beijing. My mentor was Prof. Tang, Yancheng. This taxonomic
department (now the State Key Lab of Systematic and Evolutionary
Botany) had been the largest and strongest among all universities
and CAS botanical institutes in different cities of China. It
had the largest herbarium in Asia and has the best resources of
facilities and faculty compared to other institutions. Prof. Tang
(now 81) had been well-known in the department and in China due
to his broad knowledge in methodology of systematics, up-to-date
information on literature, unusual capability of critical evaluation
of peer work, and also his humble and modest lifestyle.
I worked closely with Prof. Tang and the cytology lab directed
by Prof Hong, Deyuan (now a CAS member) as well as the morphology
& development lab directed by Prof. Anmin Lu for seven years
before I left for the United States. During those years, Prof.
Hong, Prof. Lu, and especially Prof. Tang set for me good examples
of traditional Chinese scholars and modern plant systematists.
Their ideas moved along with the advancements in systematics of
the western countries. My current research interest in the dogwood
family (Cornaceae) can be traced back to the early practicing
of taxonomic research by the group under the guidance of Prof.
Tang. The dogwood genus was chosen as the target group because
of the considerable debates among taxonomists in different countries
on the delimitation and classification within the dogwood genus
Cornus L. s. l.. The in-depth literature research, broad study
of specimens from the world, and investigation of micromorphology
of the group, prepared me with some fundamental skills for a career
in plant systematics.
The value of systematics (often regarded as a synonym of Taxonomy
in China) was often underrated in the scientific society in China.
It was not something considered “high” in the biological
community, at least in China at that time, because it was an old
discipline and most taxonomists were working on Flora of China
-descriptive and somewhat subjective, e.g., changing taxa names,
and classification schemes, etc. But taxonomy had its exceptional
rewards, such as the exciting moments of discovery of new characters
and species that resulted from fieldwork and careful examination
of herbarium specimens. Aside from this, a taxonomist had the
opportunity of travel to different places to study variation of
plants in the mountains and herbaria located in other cities.
Such opportunities allowed me to see and experience the world
of people and nature. Modern plant systematics does not only involve
naming, describing, and identifying plants, but also has a major
goal of understanding pattern, history, and causes of plant variation,
which requires careful comparative analyses of data gathered from
laboratory, field, and literature. A combination of lab work and
field work in my job is still the best thing I have liked as a
plant systematist. To me, systematics is a discipline of adventure
and discovery.
The seven years of work in the Institute of Botany was an important
period on my journey to a career in botany, as well as to my life.
I married my husband and had my first child. The colleagues and
friends I made during those years became an important network in my
later career. The botanical expeditions in southern and southwestern
China in which I participated greatly enriched my experience in botany
and benefited me throughout my entire journey in plant systematics.
The field trips still live vividly in my memory and bring me laughter
and pleasure whenever I talk or think about them. Whenever I go
back for a visit, I always feel like I am coming home. I
miss the Beijing Botanical Garden in which the institute is located,
the many friends, and the Zoo of Beijing where the Institute was
located.
Continued in the USA…
A turning point occurred in 1989, the year I had the opportunity
to visit the United States and work with Dr. David Boufford at
Harvard University Herbaria, and the late Dr. Richard Eyde, the
American dogwoods expert, at the Smithsonian Institution. Coincidently,
my husband, a plant ecologist in the same Institute, had an opportunity
visiting the Edinburgh Botanical Garden the same year. After arranging
for my 10-month old daughter to stay with my parents, I set off
for America. I clearly remember how I felt when I first arrived
in the US. I felt like Alice in a Wonderland when I walked out
of the airport in San Francisco, bathed in the warm and sweet
spring breezes under the blue sky and surrounded by fast-walking
“foreigners” and cars… It was breathtaking to
see the clean, wide streets and magnificent buildings in Washington
DC, Boston, and Cambridge. I was extremely impressed by the fact
that there was hot tap water all day long in all of the buildings
and my shoes and nose stayed clean and dust free after a long
day of walking outside. It felt like in a dream that could not
be true!
Coming to the US was a challenge: I could not understand much
English and most of the knowledge about plants I learned in China
was, obviously, Chinese. Both Drs. Boufford and Eyde were great
teachers to me in botany and English. While working hard to accomplish
my work and improve my English, I also enjoyed the incredible
museums at Smithsonian institutions, the Cherry Festival parade
in Washington DC, and the most beautiful fall colors of New England.
The inadequacy of knowledge and experimental skills in Botany
I recognized in myself urged me to pursue advanced education in
the United States. With the help and recommendation of Dr. Boufford
and Dr. Eyde, I took the “painful” TOEFL and GRE exams,
and was luckily accepted by Doug and Pam Soltis at Washington
State University, who were running an active research program
on modern plant systematics.
The five years at Washington University gave me the richest experience
and the most important training for a career in modern plant systematics.
Among other things, the preparation for preliminary exam, writing
my first manuscript and grant proposal in English, presenting
work at professional annual meetings, and the teaching experience
benefited me the most in preparing for an academic career in plant
molecular systematics.
In preparation of the preliminary exam, I spent a semester reading
books and papers. The principle, methodology, their applications
in case studies, and the theories and rationales behind the research
work all came into light for me. This process, although somewhat
stressful, lifted me to a different level of understanding the
systematic discipline.
Writing the first manuscript in English took several rounds of
back and forth changes between me and my advisor. I can image
how much time Doug spent on the word-to-word correction on each
draft and how frustrated he might have felt because even I grew
sick of it. Writing my dissertation improvement grant entailed
a similar process. These processes taught me a great deal of scientific
writing and were exceptionally educational and beneficial in the
long run, although they took more time and effort than usual (as
for American students). Writing in English is still a big challenge
to me today.
My first oral presentation at a professional meeting was another
important step in overcoming my personal shortcomings. I had never
stood in front of a group of people to speak before. The experience
is still clearly imprinted in my mind. I failed completely at
the first lab group rehearsal, mumbling broken English that no
one could hear or understand. After gathering many helpful comments
and suggestions from the lab group, I worked hard to think through
what exact words I wanted to say. With countless practices, and
numerous changes, I made a huge improvement in the second rehearsal
and became ready for the meeting. However, standing in a room
talking to critiquing strangers was nothing like the lab group
rehearsal. My hands went cold sitting in the room waiting for
my turn to talk. However, seeing Doug and Pam, and the entire
lab group in the room gave me the courage to finish a smooth presentation.
This experience surprised me, proving to me that I could speak
in front of a group of people if I had to. It was an important
discovery for me and I learned that courage, practice, and hard
work could create wonders.
My first two years at WSU were supported by a curatorial assistantship,
which did not require much English. The third year, however, my
support was switched to TA for the introductory Biology course.
This was the greatest challenge I had to face during my graduate
study. Two obstacles faced me: one was speaking to a class and
the other was the language difficulty. Most of my general biology
knowledge was in Chinese: it needed to be translated into English
and expressed in a way for non-biology major students to understand.
Despite my anxiety, I knew that if I could learn how to teach
in a classroom, it would help me one way or the other in the future.
I also knew that it was not usual for foreign students to receive
TA support. So I took this unusual opportunity to develop my ability
to speak English and teaching and went forward. Although there
were many difficulties and many hours of preparation for each
lab in the first semester, it became easier with time. I came
to enjoy it. The three years of teaching experience was essential
to a future career as a professor. I am very grateful to have
been given that challenge and opportunity which led to the discovery
of my potential for teaching. I had never imagined myself as a
teacher when I was in China, especially due to my shyness of public
speaking.
Doug and Pam advised me that research productivity was the most
important for the success of a Ph.D. student. So I used my weekends,
holidays, and summer vacation to catch up the research that fell
behind due to the teaching. My successful graduate study experience
taught me to trust my advisor, follow instructions, set short-
and long-term goals, work hard, keep up frequent communication
with the advisor about experiment results, progress, and problems,
and take every task positively, believing in an eventual reward
from it, no matter what shape the reward might take.
With all the work, it did not mean that I did not have a life.
I had some of my best experiences in Pullman after I came to the
US. My daughter and my husband joined me in the second year of
my study at WSU. Today, I miss the laughter and music in the lab
while working, the many parties in the Soltis’ house for
celebrating birthdays and achievements of students, the Chinese
village of the university housing campus, the fun of camping and
fishing by the Snake River, the fun of sledding on the hill in
the winter, and the fireworks at the Sunnyset Park.
If getting a Ph.D. is like a chicken hatching from the egg,
the post-doctorial study would be like growing feathers, and an
academic position as a professor at a university would be like a
hen ready to produce its next generation. My two years post-doctorial
study at Ohio State University with Dr. Daniel Crawford and Andrea
Wolfe was my time for growing feathers. Working on the buckeye
genus (Aesculus) at the Buckeye state was peculiar. During those
two years, I learned how to become a more independent and critical
thinker, how to apply phylogeny to understand the history of plant
distribution, and experienced different ways of running and organizing
a research lab, and most importantly how to teach a course on
plant diversity. This experience was eye-opening and important
to my adventure into the plant systematic career as a professor
at a university.
A Career as a professor in Plant systematics…
In the second year of my postdoc study at OSU, I had my second
child. After five weeks of his birth, I interviewed for my first
tenure-track assistant professor in plant molecular systematics
position at Idaho State University and was offered the job. I
was reminded by my advisor that a university professor is expected
to know everything by students. A faculty position at a university
usually has responsibilities in three main areas: teaching, research,
and service.
The first year tended to be the most difficult for a new faculty
member due to heavy workload of developing and teaching the courses,
establishing a research lab, and recruiting graduate students.
My position also included the responsibility of a curator of the
herbarium at ISU. My teaching responsibilities included several
courses for the three and a half years at ISU: Systematic Botany
once a year, Molecular Systematics for one semester, General Botany
for one semester, Economic Botany for one semester, and a senior
seminar every semester. Although it wasn’t easy and required
a lot of time to teach these courses in addition to starting a
research program that would train MS and Ph.D. students (it usually
meant no holidays, no weekends, and very little sleep), I actually
enjoyed the work. I had the freedom to teach a course the way
I wanted to, and I found that teaching itself was a different
learning process. While teaching the students I taught myself
in preparing the classes and seeking answers to students’
questions. I think an instructor should serve to facilitate the
learning of students, not to act as an encyclopedia of facts.
As it is not possible for any person to know everything or teach
everything he knows in a course, it is very important to teach
students the skills and methods of seeking new knowledge and finding
answers to their questions. I believed I learned and enjoyed more
than the students in teaching those courses. It was both wonderful
and encouraging to see students learning and appreciating the
teaching.
Research is an exciting aspect of a faculty position at the university.
I had the freedom to pursue the scientific problems of my interest.
However, obtaining grant money to support the research program
was very competitive and difficult. Plant sysetmatics is a basic
science discipline in life sciences. The funding sources are
relatively limited and the grants are usually small. I managed
to generate the most data with the least amount of expense, something
I learned from my Ph.D. advisors Doug and Pam at WSU.
The three years at ISU were the early parts of my adventure into
a career in Plant Systematics. I enriched my experience in teaching
and learned the skills needed to manage an independent research
program. When my husband’s job relocated him in the East,
I moved to NCSU to continue my academic career in botany. NCSU
is a wonderful place to foster such a career, as its campus is
home to more than 100 plant biologists, with more in the Research
Triangle area, and the natural environment boasts a great diversity
of plants. The department of botany (now Plant Biology) is strong
in research, teaching, and graduate training. I felt lucky to
be part of the group.
Several years have passed since I moved to NCSU. I have enjoyed
both work and life here. With the support of the department, college,
and university, I have managed to establish a good research program
in plant molecular systematics and also have a wonderful group
of people to work with. I teach the Systematic Botany course at
both undergraduate and graduate level, as well as a lab and a
seminar course for graduate students. I have made many domestic
and international travels to collect plant materials and to attend
professional conferences. It has been a great joy to see my graduate
students finish their degree and move forward in the academic
areas. The location of the university is also ideal because of
its closeness to the southern Appalachian mountains as well as
the Atlantic Ocean. Growing up in a mountainous region and as
a botanist, I was probably born to like the mountains –
green has always been my favorite color. The beach, however, was
not a place I had ever seen before I came to the US—it had
always been a wonderland to dream after. Living in the Raleigh
Triangle area, with both mountains and beach within a few hours’
drive, has been wonderful.
Although a job as a professor is a demanding job due to many
responsibilities (e.g., teaching in the classroom, maintaining
an active research program, training undergraduate and graduate
students, serving on committees of the department, and college,
reviewing grant proposal and manuscripts, etc.), it permits a
flexible working schedule. This flexibility is very important
for someone like me who has to be a mother, a wife, and a professor
at the same time, and whose spouse works full-time. Luckily, my
husband helps with much of the housework, like taking care of
bills and doing most of the grocery shopping, etc. so that I can
have more time to do work. Life is usually hectic like with most
American families. However, we are still able make time for family
vacations, traveling to China, and community services, even if
not as often as some of our friends. We are able to do things
that are relaxing, such as watching movies in a theater, watching
home videos, going out to parks for hiking, having friends over
to sing karaoke, etc. It is not easy to balance work and family,
but it is possible.
My journey to the botany career is a long one and probably harder
than those of most other botanists, but I cherish every step of
the journey that led me to this special career in plant biology.
Did I mention - this is all extremely fun???
That's all for now!
Botanical Society of America
www.botany.org
www.BotanyConference.org
www.PlantingScience.org
Mission: The Botanical
Society of America exists to promote botany, the field of basic
science dealing with the study and inquiry into the form, function,
development, diversity, reproduction, evolution, and uses of plants
and their interactions within the biosphere.
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