From Seahawk Researcher to Plant Biology Ph.D. – Sophia Koontz '25

Sophia Koontz, of Catonsville, Maryland, was president of the College chapter of Beta Beta Beta biology honor society and is an aspiring biology professor. Koontz became interested in plant biology her first year at SMCM after meeting Lorena Torres Martinez, assistant professor of biology. Koontz joined Torres Martinez’s lab as a directed research student studying plant-microbe interactions. For the summer of 2023, Koontz was a successful applicant for funded research as a Seahawk Undergraduate Research Fellow and continued work with Torres Martinez. This led to the development of Koontz’s St. Mary’s Project and her applications to doctoral programs in plant biology. Koontz is now at the Pennsylvania State University in the first year of her doctoral program.