Sitting in your college classroom you might ask yourself, Does making an impression in class matter? Rutgers Camden junior, Jocelyn Wardlaw is living proof that classroom participation is a major way that students can get to know professors, forming lasting relationships that can lead to letters of recommendations and other professional benefits.
Like most students, Jocelyn is in that daunting phase of life, trying to decide what career to pursue. She’s been leaning toward a Nursing degree but loves the outdoors. How to combine her interest in science with work outside?
She answered that question this past summer. Jocelyn took Biology with Dr. John Dighton who happens to be the Rutgers Pinelands Research Station Director. Professor Dighton was impressed with Jocelyn and introduced her to Dr. Peter Oudemans, plant pathologist at the Rutgers NJAES Marucci Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension Farm. The rest, as they say, is history as you can read in this press release announcing Jocelyn’s work.
FMC Sponsors Rutgers NJAES Crop Protection
Summer Farm Internship Program
This summer, FMC Corporation’s Agricultural Products Group, Global Innovation Organization (GIO), partnered with Rutgers, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station to support intern, Jocelyn Wardlaw, in a joint Summer Crop Protection Farm Internship at the Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension in Chatsworth, NJ.
Jocelyn, who is entering her junior year as a Biology major at Rutgers Camden, spent the summer investigating possible causes of Footprinting disease on cranberry under the guidance of Dr. Peter Oudemans. She also spent a portion of her time working in the FMC Fungicide Nematicide Biology Lab in Ewing, NJ. She was involved with designing, initiating and rating fungicide and nematicide assays, but also took the opportunity to meet FMC’s scientists and explore other areas of biology and chemistry careers.
Jocelyn presented her summer research results at the American Cranberry Growers Association Field Day. Growers from New Jersey and Massachusetts attended Jocelyn’s presentation. She also delivered her findings to scientists at FMC. Both of her presentations sparked active discussion about the future research and control of this new disease of cranberry.
Hometown: Mount Laurel, NJ
Education: B.S. Biological Sciences
Internship: Rutgers NJAES Marucci Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension Farm
