During my undergraduate studies, I was fortunate enough to be selected for the Boyce Thompson Institute’s 2018 Plant Genome Research Program (NSF REU) at Cornell University. It was a transformative experience, where I had the privilege to work in the Raguso Lab in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior. Under the guidance of my mentors Ajinkya Dahake and Dr. Robert A. Raguso, I developed my own research project concerning the innate foraging behavior of the nocturnal hawkmoth Manduca sexta. The aim of my study was to determine the effects of floral shape on initial flower choice and handling. I still remember the excitement I felt as I learned how to handle and care for the moths, and began a series of behavioral assays in which I exposed individual moths to a mixed artificial floral array. By the end of that summer, we gained valuable insights into the moth’s innate preferences towards shape and how these nocturnal animals can learn and improve foraging behavior with a focus on their ecology. I even had the honor of presenting this research to my peers and other scientists at the Boyce Thompson Institute’s 2018 Summer Intern Symposium, which was an unforgettable moment that I will always cherish. Check out my first scientific presentation here!