Maria Nunez

My name is Maria Nunez and I am a junior microbiology major at Wagner College in Staten Island, NY. I'm very grateful to have had this experience with GLBRC at MSU this summer. Working in Dr. Ashley Shade’s lab, I learned important information and protocols necessary for researching phyllosphere plant-microbial interactions of switchgrass in order to make improved biofuel crops and promote environmental sustainability.

Apart from enjoying my time in the lab, I became great friends with the other REU students and did many fun activities on the weekends. My favorite thing that we did was staying at Eric Hegg's cabin on Lake Michigan, where we went to the beach, roasted s'mores, and sang karaoke around the campfire. I had a great time this summer and I would certainly recommend applying to this program for anyone who's interested—you won't regret it!