Her research focuses on the physiology involved in the regulation of water-use efficiency in plants under different environmental conditions, from whole plant to protein levels of organization. She teaches introductory level courses in biology as well as upper level courses in plant physiology and plant-animal interactions. She is currently developing a collaborative interdisciplinary course that deals with the chemical aspects of ethnobotany. As part of the Liberal Arts education perspective at Hope College, she also teaches a freshman level seminar that deals with “What does it mean to love someone or something?” Dr. Swarthout received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Botany from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas, USA. E-mail: Debbie Swarthout User Content