AMES, Iowa – Mentoring young scientists is a career priority for Dior Kelley, assistant professor of genetics, development and cell biology at Iowa State University.

“I always like to have undergraduates in my lab when we have grants or work study to support them,” she said. “Working with undergraduates gives our graduate students and postdocs the chance to act as mentors, too.”

This year, Kelley is especially proud of the achievements of two of her former students, spring 2022 graduates Melissa Draves, who majored in genetics with minors in agronomy and biology, and Rebekah Muench, an agronomy major.

Their work to develop a standardized method to phenotype seedlings of maize (corn) is featured in the October 2022 issue of the high-impact, scientific journal, “Current Protocols.” Kelley is corresponding co-author on the article, “Maize Seedling Growth and Hormone Response Assays Using the Rolled Towel Method.”