Cynthia Jordan Profile
Like many 21-year-olds Cynthia Jordan is nearing a major milestone in her life with the completion of an undergraduate degree, but few have as many hours in research as Jordan.
“[Cynthia] is one of the most impressive underclassmen I’ve ever seen based on some of the research projects she has participated in,” Dr. Glen Ritchie, chair and associate professor of the Department of Plant and Soil Science at Texas Tech University, said.
Despite only being a underclassman, Jordan said she has participated in and published research in soil topics such as rapid quantification of lignite sulfate, and has worked with consulting firms to help apply the technology she’s researched in a commercial practice.
Her work in soil sampling research and classification methods has made it easier for professionals to get information about specific soil, Jordan said. But its application is not limited to agriculture or crop production- Jordan was able to help a firm in Houston, Texas, take soil samples and learn why houses in their subdivision were flooding.
“I started research with Dr. Weindorf in March of 2018,” Jordan said, “and from there, I’ve had the opportunities to continue researching and do some consulting work.”
With graduation on the horizon for Jordan, she is already looking forward to graduate school. She is even already working on her Master’s project.
“I am working towards my master’s, and from there I will be going to do my Ph.D. work,” Jordan said. “After that, I would like to do more work in soil, as well as incorporating that into agricultural production of crops.”
Being able to publish research as an undergraduate student has given her a feel of graduate school research and the tools to succeed as a life-long researcher, Jordan says, but there is more important things than the lab work.
“Most importantly, is the collaboration with other people. Within our lab, we definitely have a good team. We have some people from Romania, some from India, and some from Brazil, as well as people from the United States — so we’re able to use them to share all of this information and contribute to a project.”