Abby Harlow’s interest in science first took root in a high school biology classroom and has since grown into a focus on plants. Now in her second year at the University of Rhode Island as a Plant Sciences major, she is developing technical skills and gaining research experience in a field she describes as constantly unfolding.
“Learning about how plants function is so fascinating to me,” she says. “I also love just how much there still is to discover and as someone wanting to go towards the lab work it makes me really excited!”
Within URI’s Plant Sciences program, Harlow says she’s enjoyed courses that emphasize applied learning the most. “Hands-on experience has helped me really understand how to do certain tasks really well,” she says. “I’ve learned to grow and care for so many plants and the ability to problem solve when things go wrong by myself with some help from my professors.” One of her favorite courses, Horticulture Plant Production, taught her to grow her own poinsettias.
“My favorite days are always when I can go out and do hands-on activities instead of staying in the classroom,” she adds. “I’ve even been surprised with how much I enjoy cutting branches off trees and seeing my work being important for many years to come.
She also emphasizes the close-knit nature of the department and the accessibility of faculty as being key to her success. “I really love all the plant science professors,” she says. “They are so fun to talk to and it’s really easy to gain a closer relationship with them from how small the major is.”
Harlow’s hands-on work has extended into research, where she has contributed to published studies in plant genetics focused on sorghum transformation techniques – an experience she says was both challenging and rewarding.
“I have gotten published in two papers,” she says. “We worked all semester — and with some of the authors even longer — to help better be able to genetically modify sorghum. Being able to have this lab experience will help me so much with my future and be able to get into grad school.”
Looking ahead, Harlow hopes to pursue a career in plant genetics or plant breeding, with an emphasis on addressing agricultural challenges. “I want to be a plant geneticist or plant breeder as the amount of farms I’ve been on always have issues with certain pests and diseases and I would love to try and help with those problems and create resistant crops,” she says.
She also hopes more students consider exploring the field, even if only through a single introductory course. “Plant sciences is such an important field and I believe people should try taking a class or two to see if it’s something you could potentially have interest in,” she says. “I started in middle school thinking I was going to work with animals and now I have a much clearer path with so many different options of what I can go into.”