Dr. Freundlich has always been interested in plant defense and the strategies they utilize. As an undergraduate at Dickinson College, she studied how carbon dioxide enrichment impacted seagrass defenses. Soon after graduation, she work at the Ohio State University to assess which genes conferred resistance in soybean against soybean cyst nematodes. After this experience, she completed her Ph.D. studying how plant-plant communication impacts plant defense strategies in agricultural settings and soon moved to Utah State University for her postdoctoral position. In this post, she investigated how herbivore-induced shifts in floral chemistry alter floral microbe communities and pollinator visitation. Additionally, Dr. Freundlich received a National Science Foundation award to study how floral bacteria and yeast alter floral trait evolution in the model plant Brassica rapa. As an assistant professor at Furman, she is excited to work with students determining how plant chemistry in flowers and leaves influences plant-species interactions.

Honors & Awards

• GRFP Honorable mention
• NSF postdoctoral scholar

Education

• Ph.D., University of Louisville
• B.S., Dickinson College