Tiny
Kernels of
A Jennifer Hawkins, PhD, right, built on a lifelong fascination with the way puzzles fit together into a research career in genetics. With a new NSF grant, she will work with assistants like alumna Chelsea Bradshaw, left, on unlocking genetic mysteries that could lead to better ways to feed the world.
54
FALL
2012
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Magazine
TRUTH By Gerrill Griffith, Photos by Brian Persinger
s a child, West Virginia University’s Jennifer Hawkins became fascinated with jigsaw puzzles—the kind with lots and lots of pieces. “I used to race my mother to see who could find the pieces that fit the quickest,” the assistant professor of biology recalled. “I remember the satisfaction of finding two pieces that fit together, and then pride when finishing and getting to see the complete picture. Science is a lot like that for me. We gather small pieces of information that click together, and, over time, a big exciting picture emerges. Unlike the jigsaw puzzle, however, there is no picture on the front of the box to
guide you, so that big science picture is even more exciting and more rewarding because it reveals something that no one else knew before—a discovery.” Armed with that lifelong curiosity about how complex puzzles fit together, a professional and personal goal of improving people’s lives through research, and a big new grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Hawkins is set to unravel the mysteries of how plants use genetically coded information to build protein molecules that affect the way they look and function. Her work could someday lead to a more effective way to grow food or even eliminate birth defects. Hawkins is using the opportunity to tackle a tough puzzle and provide a positive experience for WVU students who are helping with the project. Hawkins works in the world of genetics —the term is based on an ancient Greek word for “genitive.” The details of her study