Skip to main content Skip to navigation
CAHNRS Department of Horticulture Genomics Lab

Undergraduate – James Crabb

 

James Crabb James Crabb

 

Your name and what is/was your background (what is your major, why science, etc)?
James Crabb, Horticulture (Viticulture and Enology)
Interested in wine grape research

Why did you decide to join a research lab? How did the experience compare to what you had expected?
The lab I joined has a project that deals with my particular academic interests (Pixie grape propagation, wine grape genomics).

What was cool, exciting or most interesting about your time in the lab?
Being involved with developing new procedures for propagating plants as part of the research process.

If there is something in particular you learned or discovered that you’d like to share with others, please take a moment to tell us about it.
Attention to detail is paramount at all times in a lab, but especially when following procedures and in keeping records/lab journals.

If you would recommend conducting research in a science lab to others, what would you tell them to get them interested in the idea?
Even if your long-term goal is not to work in a lab, getting some lab experience that directly deals with your primary area of interest can provide relevant and valuable knowledge and insight that you would otherwise miss out on.

We’d love to know what you’re up to, so please give us a brief description of where you are working or going to school now.
I am currently the assistant manager for two vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley.

Did the lab experience help you with your classes or your perspective about science? Did working in the lab help you with developing other skills like time management or communication?
As a Horticulture major I had many general lab classes, but working in this lab was more specifically relevant to my field of interest. Working in this lab was also different from a lab class because here you are participating in on-going research.

Do you feel better prepared for the workplace or future academic endeavors as a result of your time in the lab?
As I said above, working in a research lab that deals with your specific field of interest provides experience and insights you likely would not gain if your long-term goal is not to work in a lab.