Dustin Ray

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences – Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Research Project: Exploring how the anatomy of the Pelargonium stem allows it to move water throughout the plant.

Dustin Ray came to UConn as a Ph.D. student in biology all the way from California. He earned his M.S. from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona in 2010 and his B.S. from Whittier College in 2005.

An avid outdoorsman, Dustin is focusing his research on plants—specifically the Pelargonium, an ancestor of the common geranium and native to South Africa and Australia. Dustin is seeking to learn more about how the anatomy of the Pelargonium stem allows it to move water throughout the plant body. His interest in stem anatomy grew naturally out of his master’s research in the field.

Dustin, who hails from San Francisco, came to UConn with a fellowship in the Multicultural Scholars Program. He is also a member of the Botanical Society of America, the International Association of Wood Anatomists, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

His love of the great outdoors extends beyond his scientific interest in the flora and fauna. Dustin also enjoys running and swimming. He plans to compete in a few half marathons this spring and a few triathlons this summer.

After earning his doctorate, Dustin says, “I would like to teach and continue doing research at a university in New England or the San Francisco Bay area.”

Biography done by Cathleen Torrisi