HOME     ADVISORY BOARD      PROJECTS     EDUCATION COMPONENT     STANDARDS     RESOURCES     LINKS 

Contact me: spatters@hawaii.edu
curriculum vitae my project links pictures
Shelly Lammers Hello, I am Shelly Lammers. My educational background started at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, where I completed an Associates Degree in Arts and Sciences.  After moving to Hawaii, I completed a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Music at the University of Hawaii (UH). As my undergraduate studies progressed, I realized that my favorite organisms to work with were plants – they are beautiful, complex, and diverse organisms, they play a crucial role in the earth’s ecosystem, some taste good, and there are no ethical issues involved with cutting them up in labs or growing them in captive environments!
   I am currently a graduate student at UH in the Botany Department. I am beginning a study on mamane (Sophora chrysophylla), a native Hawaiian forest tree in the legume family. While this tree may not be familiar to you, many people know of the palila, the endangered bird that took a case to the Supreme Court for protection of its habitat.  Mamane trees are the primary component of the palila habitat. Mamane are also ecologically significant forest trees in Hawaii, especially at high elevations. Close-up photo of mamane blossom
Closeup of the mamane flower
Shelly with Mamane plants
Collecting mamane on Haleakala, Maui		 My Masters research focuses on genetics, an area of science that I find really fascinating.  I am exploring the genetic variation of mamane in the Hawaiian Islands to learn more about their systematics and morphological variation. Researchers do not agree whether there are several species of Sophora in Hawaii or just one.  My research may help to answer this question.  We need to learn as much as we can about any organism in order to make informed management decisions and perhaps in the future take appropriate courses of action to insure its preservation.

My interests are broad, and I enjoy exploring the interdependence of various science disciplines.  I am excited about working with the GK-12 project to share with others what I have learned about plants and genetics.  It is also exciting to show how these relate to other interesting topics such as ecology, conservation, and zoology.  

Return Home