Denise Gardner
Years before Denise Gardner set foot on campus, her interest in science was inspired by Penn State. “Freshman year in high school, I took an agriculture course,” says Gardner, a senior majoring in food science. “We had to read the current issue of Penn State Agriculture magazine and know the information in it for an exam. There was an article on grape phylloxera, which is an insect that attacks grape vines. The article said grape phylloxera was a long-term problem and they didn’t know how to fix it. And it immediately grabbed my interest.”

Gardner attended the Governor’s School for Agriculture at Penn State during the summer of 2001 and worked with entomologist Jack Schultz on an electron-microscope study of the galls, or tumor-like growths, that phylloxera cause on grape vines. “Once I did that,” she says, “I was hooked on research and on going to Penn State.” With Schultz’s help, Gardner continued to do research on grapes and wine throughout high school.

Upon arriving at Penn State, “I knew right away I wanted to get into somebody’s lab and work,” she says. During her freshman year she continued phylloxera research with Schultz, and she worked with a graduate student in the horticulture department on a grape vine growth physiology project. This project took her to Napa Valley, where she spent a summer at the University of California, Davis, assisting researchers there on grape phylloxera and grape-vine irrigation projects.

Gardner’s research has spanned several departments in the college, including plant pathology, horticulture, and food science. She finished up her undergraduate career working on an apple-cider project, under adviser Stephanie Doores. “Denise is one of those rare students who’s taken advantage of all that the college has to offer in independent research studies,” Doores says.

Gardner is quick to list the advantages of undergraduate research: “I’ve learned how to set up experiments. I know where to find information on past research, which you have to know prior to starting an experiment. I feel comfortable working in a lab. I’ve learned how to work with advisers. And even though I don’t consider myself a good writer, it’s a skill I’ve started to develop because I’ve been forced to do it. The grape vine growth physiology project I worked on was accepted for publication in a journal, which is a good thing to have on your resume.”

After graduation, Gardner will attend graduate school at Virginia Tech University, studying grape flavor chemistry by working with flavor and aroma compounds. “I definitely think my undergraduate research will give me an advantage in graduate school,” she says. “I’m interested in wine making because it’s an art as well as a science. It appeals to my creative side as well as my science side. And the grape and wine industry is important, so it will be a good opportunity.”

Her advice to her younger peers is to try research, and try it early. “A lot of undergraduates are afraid to get involved in research because it can be intimidating,” she says. “But it’s so worth it because you can land yourself some really great opportunities. Look at your options, and see if the research matches what you’re interested in—and don’t wait until you’re a senior. I’m a proponent of trying something before committing yourself to it. More than anything else, getting involved in research helped clarify what I wanted to do.”