NOVEMBER 2018 GERMINATION.CA 11 MANAGEYOURTIME DOROTHY KIRSCH LIVES a life familiar to most undergrads. The 21-year-old biology major at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota studies plant and ear height in maize. She’s originally from Wesley, Iowa, and is currently an intern there at the DuPont Pioneer Research Station in Algona. Her life is a busy one — she’s a member of the National Biological Honor Society Beta Beta Beta and the National Scholastic Honor Society Delta Epsilon Sigma. Getting the most out of life is in her DNA. After finishing her bachelor’s degree, she plans to complete her PhD in applied plant sciences with an emphasis on plant breeding and bioinformatics. She has a simple secret that underpins her success — she’s a morning person. This helps her to manage her time well and stay fresh. “I try to plan all my classes for early in the morning and get my sched- ule planned in the morning before most people are awake. I also often do some homework at work depending on how busy we are,” she says. For Kirsch, it’s important not only to get up early and get a jump on things, but to also ensure she’s well-rested and keeps her stress well managed. “After lab I try to fit in some homework before I go to dinner, so I can make sure I go to bed on time. I do all my homework on Fridays rather than leaving it for the weekend, so I can recharge on Saturday and Sunday.” Kirsch’s penchant for rising early, going to bed at a reasonable hour and taking time to recharge her batteries is a lifestyle that science is discover- ing has innumerable benefits. Night owls — people who like to stay up late and have trouble dragging themselves out of bed in the morning — have a higher risk of dying sooner than so-called “morning larks”, people like Kirsch who have a natural preference for going to bed early and rising with the sun. That’s according to a new study from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom. “Night owls trying to live in a morning lark world may have health consequences for their bodies,” said co-lead author Kristen Knutson, associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. People who go to bed early and get up when the cock crows have lower rates of diabetes, mental illness and neurological disorders, the study found. Elizabeth Lee began her own education in plant breeding in the early 1980s and says one important lesson she’s learned over the years is to not fall victim to workaholism. Lee is a plant scientist at the University of Guelph specializing in maize. She’s also been involved with the National Association of Plant Breeders since its inception and helped organize this year’s meeting in Ontario — the first time the annual gathering was held in Canada. “You have to acknowledge times have changed. There is more stress in breeding — the profession has changed because you’re always plugged in now. We need to start thinking of the expectations we have of grad students working six or even seven days a week,” Lee says. “Just because we did that back in the day, that shouldn’t necessarily be the expectation we have now.” Borlaug Scholar Dorothy Kirsch of Minnesota. Elizabeth Lee is a professor at the University of Guelph.