Kristen Porter-Utley, assistant professor of biology, began her career at Keene State just a year ago. She holds a master's degree in Ethno-Botany, which is the study of how plants are used in various cultures, from the University of Florida, and has just completed her doctoral dissertation concerning the taxonomy and evolution of passion flowers. She is working on getting articles from her dissertation, including two new species descriptions, published in various peer-reviewed journals.

Kristen manages the Science Center's Herbarium, a collection of dried plants collected throughout New Hampshire. She also receives plant samples sent from various institutions to help with the classification process.

What attracted Kristen to the college were the small class sizes, "I really like the relationships that I'm able to build with students because the classes are so small." She says that, given the diversity of science faculty, students can perform projects in virtually any topic area that interests them.

Kristen currently teaches Plants in Human Affairs and Life Diversity. She will also begin a course titled 'Plant Biology' in the spring of 2006.