MPS gives inaugural Leadership in Community Building and Outreach Award
This fall, the Molecular Plant Science (MPS) graduate program gave the inaugural Leadership in Community Building and Outreach Award. This award was established to recognize students who have made outstanding contributions to MPS, the MSU community, and the broader public.
Three students were recognized: Jenny Schuster, Luke Sharpe and Mitchell Ticoras. Their accomplishments in student recruitment and development, and community building and outreach saw them receive this honor. The tireless efforts of these students helped MSU to recruit students from diverse groups and build a stronger and more inclusive community.
“Since the establishment of the program, MPS students have been highly engaged and taking leadership roles in community development and public outreach, providing a supportive environment for each other and making significant contributions to raising the visibility of plant sciences at MSU,” said Jianping Hu, director of MPS. “MPS strives to prepare our students for future careers not just as scientists but also as strong science advocates. I would like to congradute Jenny, Luke and Mitch for winning the inaugural award and we would like to make this award an MPS tradition.”
Jenny Schuster
Jenny Schuster is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the Cell and Molecular Biology and Molecular Plant Sciences programs, in the lab of Robert VanBuren.
“Graduate school is hard, and it’s really nice to know you have lots of support from others in your departments and programs,” Schuster said. “I wanted to give back to the communities that helped me so much at the start of my graduate school career, and I’m honored to continue to help maintain and strengthen the graduate student community.”
Schuster is recognized for her work with the MPS community and beyond. She served as the president of the Association of Molecular Plant Science Students (AMPSS) for two years. She also worked with the BioMolecular Science Graduate Recruitment Initiative Team (GRIT) on the leadership board and as Coordinator of the Peer Mentorship Program. She has coordinated programs with AMPSS and the Plant Genomics REU program, connecting REU and MPS students. For the MSU Science Festival, Schuster organized and participated in activities to foster young students’ passion for science.
“Jenny is a remarkable scientist, leader, and community builder,” said VanBuren, associate professor of Plant Biology. “Her service to MPS and the broader molecular plant science community reflects her passion for supporting others and improving graduate education.”
Luke Sharpe
Luke Sharpe is a graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Molecular Plant Sciences. He is co-mentored by Daniel Ducat and Berkley Walker.
“I believe that outreach and public education are fundamental responsibilities of scientists,” Sharpe said. “Much of our work is supported by the public, which is why we should make science accessible, engaging and relevant beyond the lab. Outreach not only gives us an opportunity to connect and show off the cool science we do but also strengthens public trust.”
Since starting at MSU, Luke has taken on a number of leadership and outreach roles. In his first semester at MPS, he started as the Social Chair. He then became the Outreach Chair, organizing participation in the MSU Science Festival and Girls’ Math and Science Day.
He is the Chair for the Plant Research Laboratory’s (PRL) Community Building and Outreach Committee, where he helped to organize and participated in the PRL’s portion of the MSU Detroit Early Honors Experience. Sharpe also served as the graduate representative on a recent PRL faculty search.
“Luke's involvement with multiple initiatives demonstrates his tireless desire to serve those around him and to support the broader community both inside and outside of MSU,” wrote Ducat and Walker in a joint nomination letter.
Mitchell Ticoras
Mitchell Ticoras is a graduate student in Plant Biology and Molecular Plant Sciences, co-mentored by Daniel Ducat and Berkley Walker.
“We do a lot of amazing science here at MSU, but often it only has a fraction of the impact it could have because of the energy required to make it more accessible to non-scientists and scientists from other specialties,” Ticoras said. “It is nice to know others appreciate people like Jenny, Luke and me who are trying to bridge that gap and bring people together. It may be a bit cliché, but seemingly now more than ever we need scientists to engage not only with one another but with the public and policymakers to demonstrate the importance of our efforts.”
Ticoras is a member of the PRL’s Community Building and Outreach Committee, where he assisted in the development of the Eastern Michigan University Summer Student Exchange Program. He was also instrumental in the development of the PRL’s Fall Welcome Picnic. Ticoras helped develop outreach activities which appeared at the MSU Science Festival, Girls’ Math and Science Day and the PRL’s portion of the MSU Detroit Early Honors Experience. He also served as a graduate student mentor for the Department of Plant Biology and as a member of the MPS recruitment committee.
“Altogether, in his relatively short time at MSU, he knows he has positively impacted not only the MSU plant science community but also the neighbors in the Greater East Lansing/Lansing area as well as the other young scientists he has had the pleasure of meeting through these outreach and community building opportunities,” wrote Ducat and Walker in a joint nomination letter.
