Though she never strayed from her goal of becoming a dentist, Valdovinos-Ayala did branch out in a new direction during her time at CSUB. Majoring in biology would set her up to pursue dentistry after graduation, but it also introduced to her the myriad facets that discipline encompasses.
“Biology is such a visual and interactive subject, it’s hard not to delve deep and fall in love,” she said. “One look in the microscope and you are hooked, or at least I was.”
In Dr. Anna Jacobsen’s introductory plant biology class, Valdovinos-Ayala was mesmerized by what she was learning. She remembers sitting in the lab and replicating in her notebook the cells she saw in the microscope.
“I remember thinking, ‘What else is out there?’” she said. “There are so many cells, organisms, processes, conditions that our naked eye can’t see, but with the aid of a microscope that all becomes detectable, it becomes real. It opened my mind to a whole new realm of curiosity.”
Inspired by the class, she started conducting research in Dr. Jacobsen’s lab, first doing microscopic analyses for projects that were already underway and eventually, as a senior, taking the lead on a project and working with sophomore students. Dr. Jacobsen called Valdovinos-Ayala a kind and generous team-player who took to her leadership role seamlessly.
“Jessica was an amazing student, dedicated and hardworking, very detail-oriented and also able to appreciate the bigger picture,” Dr. Jacobsen said. “It is always wonderful to have students early in their academic career, when you can see a spark in them; it is a gift to be able to work with them and see them grow and gain confidence. What makes Jessica particularly special has been her continued focus and dedication to helping those around her, whether through assisting others in research, teaching or helping create confidence through healthier smiles. She is a deeply caring person.”
The project that Valdovinos-Ayala led in her senior year was recently published in “Annals of Botany.” Valdovinos-Ayala is the lead author of the article, titled “Seasonal patterns of increases in stem girth, vessel development, and hydraulic function in deciduous tree species.” The work, funded by a National Science Foundation grant, examined the onset of spring growth and xylem formation of woody trees. Changes in temperature can affect the development of structures, tissues and cells of the plant, Valdovinos-Ayala explained. Looking at the functional lifespan of the plants helps scientists understand how they are responding to changing climates.
Valdovinos-Ayala was at first intimidated by the research. On the pre-med biology track, plant biology wasn’t in her background. But as time in the lab went on, she became more comfortable there and knew her professor and peers were there with her and willing to help.
“The collaboration and comradery of amazing scientists in the lab made the research experience that much more enjoyable,” she said. “I never felt out of place; we were all working on our specific projects but collectively had the same aim.”
The research experience alone was likely worth the time she spent in the lab, but having the results published is certainly a satisfying conclusion for all the hard work.
“It is humbling, looking back and remembering the work, long Excel sheets and attention to detail, and then seeing the big picture and results,” Valdovinos-Ayala said. “It is such a beautiful process. It’s what makes science so great. The ability to have that work available for others to learn from or to make their own questions, experiments and discoveries from is truly unmatched.”
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