leah markum's graphic design portfolio
DESCRIPTION
January 2014 issue: ecology and equine themeTRANSCRIPT
Leah MarkumProfessional Graphic Portfolio
Come join our herd.
Buy a used vehicle that can explore beyond the roads.
Black Oak Used Cars and Farm Equipment Black Oak, Arkansas
479-787-7989
Manuel Farm and Equine FacilityNestled in the country between Gravette and Centerton, Manuel Farm offers pasture boarding and riding lessons.
Leah Markum
Illustrations
Table of Contents
3 ~ Illustrations
4 ~ Layouts
8 ~ Photo Editing
10 ~ Typography
Poster
11~ Résumé
In Adobe Illustrator I have designed mul-tiple logos, including a few versions for my own use. Above I have a version that has
my name and on the cover I have a version that is only symbols. My design reflects my interests as a communicator: the horse rep-resenting agriculture and the branch repre-
senting natural sciences.
Also in Illustrator I can create my own swatches, in this case using brush designs and colors to fill
the chestnut leaf and horse head I used in my logo.
3
~
4
he plant pathology department hosted another summer of under-graduate research through the C. Roy Adair Undergraduate Re-search Internship Program. Students came from towns as close as Rogers and a country as far as Greece. One student, Kari Weis of Highland, Ill., arrived with limited laboratory experience and had the “eye-opening” experience of her academic career.
T
Leah Markum
A Summer of Growth:
from Soybeans and Pathogens
to an Intern
Layout Design
Above: Weis transfers pathogens from soybean root samples to growth medium. She is working with plant pathologist John Rupe to test the effects of high tempera-ture and seed quality on soybean seedling diseases. (credit: Fred Miller)
Left Background: Many pests, from viruses to insects, infect soybeans. Weis’s research is one of many efforts needed to nurture the crop from seed to fruit, which can eventually be used for human benefit (Photo courtesy of Ben Dyson).
The plant pathology department host-ed another summer of undergraduate research through the C. Roy Adair Undergraduate Research Internship Program. Students came from towns as close as Rogers and a country as far as Greece. One student, Kari Weis of Highland, Ill., arrived with limited laboratory experience and had the “eye-opening” experience of her aca-demic career. Weis attends the University of Missouri and pursues two majors: plant science, and science and agri-cultural journalism. She worked with John Rupe to research the role of tem-perature on seedling disease and seed emergence in soybeans. “Personally,” Weis said, “my biggest accomplishment was com-pleting the project and presenting it,
and then being asked by Dr. Rupe to present in Dallas at the American Phytopathological Society Southern Division meeting. Every day I was busy, so to get to the end and to see the results was rewarding.” Summer research internships in general are designed to give un-dergraduates a dose of what graduate school is like. Plant pathology de-partments, including the one at the University of Arkansas, often do not have undergraduate students. The Adair program introduces upper level students to three things: graduate school work, laboratory research and the plant pathology industry. Weis said she enjoyed the whole experience, from the people to the research pro-cess. “People are super nice and
Layout Design
Below: Weis’s set of harvested soybean seedling roots have disease damage. She said after wash-ing the roots she would rate and record the roots for root discoloration. (credit: Kari Weis)
Above: Some of Weis’s harvested soybean seedlings lay on a tray with labels. The shoots and roots had to be separated, washed and weighed to determine if a seedling disease affected plant growth. (Photo courte-sy Kari Weis)
welcoming,” she said. “I worked under Dr. Rupe on a project that assessed the role of temperature and soil types on soybean seedling diseases. I was there for two months and presented my research to the plant pathology department at the end.” Weis mentioned she chose Rupe’s project be-cause it was familiar to her. “I already knew about soybeans, so I wanted to go deeper,” she said. The project with soybeans was established before her internship, so she “stepped in and moved it a little farther” by analyzing effects in different soils. Even though her time in Arkansas has passed, she mentioned the department will build on her work. Weis said she hopes she can travel to an Amer-ican Phytopathological Society (APS) conference in February and unite with fellow summer interns, and plant pathology graduate students and professors there. This presentation would be different than the one she gave at the end of her internship, as then she “had only the first run of results.” If she goes to Dallas, her presentation will include all her results. Weis considered the most educational aspect of her internship was concentrating on her own project
and working from beginning to end. “My project was an expansion of a current study,” she said. “Dr. Rupe said, ‘this is generally how to do it—come up with an experiment,’ but I was given the freedom to test additional variables. I liked having the freedom, but also having Dr. Rupe present to guide me and to assist.” The experience came with a unique perk for Weis: she utilized both of her majors to complete her research. “I used my plant science degree through the project, and at the end I used my journalism side to make the presentation,” she said. Although Weis declared the program was over-all a positive experience for her, there were challenges. She said they mostly revolved around the first two weeks when she was learning what was expected of her. “The beginning was really difficult, because I had to learn lab procedures,” Weis said. “The first two weeks I felt like a puppy following everyone around.” Even later in the summer, after she learned lab procedures, Weis mentioned she had to conquer small tasks that she would have never thought of before they
7
Below: At two weeks, Weis’s seedlings were removed from the growth chamber and har-vested. Part of Weis’s research was how soil types affect the disease, so after they grew she would harvest and analyze damage. (credit: Kari Weis)
Above: Weis’s research in the summer of 2013 focused on disease in soybean seedlings. However, by learning more about seedling diseases, more soybeans can grow to full size. (Photo courtesy of Ben Dyson)
happened. “There were different little moments you don’t think about,” Weis said. “The whole thing was a learn-ing process. There was a lot of repetition.” The experience did not stop at her assigned project. Weis traveled with the other interns to other plant pathology-focused facilities in the Fayetteville area and in Oklahoma. “We got to see how they deal with different diseases and what techniques they used,” she said.Weis may use her experience in the near future. She said she is looking into graduate school. “I applied to the Adair program so I could see the University of Arkansas and expand my knowledge in plant pathology,” she said. “It was an added bonus that the U of A isn’t too far away from my hometown and the University of Missouri.” Weis indicated her graduate studies may be in plant science or agricultural journalism. She said she was not sure if it was because of the infamous Southern hospitality, but she was im-pressed with the people she met through her intern-ship. “I truly had a great time,” she said. “Everyone
was so receptive and open. I was invited to volleyball Tuesdays and Thursdays, and barbeques.” Weis elaborated on her favorite aspect of her internship. “Going through the entire scientific process was eye-opening,” she said. “I had to think outside the box, and take what I had learned in class and apply it to a field situation.”
Left: Elizabeth Watkins-Enzor and her Thoroughbredgelding, Houdini, also com-peted in First Level dressage. Houdini is a fast, powerful horse, but with some cropping I could get him in a visually-appealing frame. True to his name, he can be troublesome, but his rider al-ways shows her appreciation.
8
Photo Editing
Left: In Adobe Photoshop, I had the oppor-tunity to build on my understanding of ba-sic photo editing, but also more advanced techniques such as filters, clipping, and masks. At the left is Justin Doran on his Percheron mare, Isabel, competing in First Level dressage. It was a very foggy day, and it made my pictures look drabby. However, with some editing, most of the fog is gone and the colors are more vibrant.
Left: Deedee Moore and her mare, Sum-mer, were the third contenders competing for high schools at the First Level at a local dressage show. Like the other pairs, Deedee and Summer rode in a form that looks great in a picture. However, even with basic ed-iting, Summer’s “white” portions were just too dirty. Using a dodge tool, I was able to clean some of the wear and tear of pasture life.
Left: From a previous magazine layout de-
sign, I used the quick selection tool to mask
the strawberry plant off of the gray-brown dirt background and place it in InDesign
to complement a headline. Certainly a much better use of a
flower.
Young hickory leaves budding in the last of the evening light.
Equine: Seriff mozing along after a good roll on a cool afternoon.
Forest silhouette distorted by spring morning light, mist from Yellowstone Falls, and canyon geysers.
PLANTS
ANIMALS
COUNTRY
Photography
River cane leaves momentarily still in the autumn afternoon.
Feline: Thirteen basking in morning glow with the snow.
Forest silhouette reflection in a eaf-conjested creek.
“They sing voice to voice the ancient melodies”
Summ
er ra
in fa
lls o
n th
e ap
ple
bra
nch
es.
Lig
hts
from
hea
ven
danc
ing with the shadows. Com
e
the forest
of t
he n
igh
t. T
he
lon
ely
pra
yer
rin
gin
g th
roug
h the land of rain, across th
e th
in a
ir, c
alli
ng
you.
times you think loneliness is better than pain
, and y
ou s
ink
deep
er
in your valley. Is this the place to be, in
take m
y hand, le
t me
be in
you
r fo
rest
. So
me-
FOREST
Typography Poster
10
Yuki Kajiura’s “Forest” lyrics
“They sing voice to voice the ancient melodies”
Résumé
Leah Markum
1236 N Hillcrest AveFayetteville, AR, 72703
Education
Candidate for Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Journalism 5/2014• Minor in Agricultural Communications
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, ArkansasGPA 3.54
Proficiencies
Writing—news, features, broadcast, scientific, technical, creative proseCommunication—AP style, copyediting and developmental editing, analyzing documents
for audience suitability, campaign project management, design principles, working independently and collaborating
Technical—MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Publisher), Adobe CS (InDesign, Photo-shop, Illustrator, Premier Pro), WordPress, digital SLR cameras
Research—interviewing, surveying, detail-oriented use of electronic and print resourcesSubject Matter—classes and seminars focused on earth sciences, botany, zoology, ecol-
ogy and communication skills and theories
Experience
Volunteer Weekend Visitor Services 9/2013-presentBotanical Garden of the Ozarks, Fayetteville, Arkansas
• Manage admissions, gift purchases, membership applications, event registrations and phone calls.
• Converse and advise visitors about Garden and local attractions.
Field Assistant (all volunteer unless otherwise stated) 4/2012-presentUniversity of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
• Surveyed vegetation, including rare plants, for graduate students’ projects.• Traveled with PhD candidate to Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia to
survey additional sites for research project (paid).• Mentored inexperienced graduate students with conducting field studies.
Freelance 1/2011-present• Writing, editing and desktop publishing services including academic papers and
extracurricular flyers• Two feature stories to be published in The Graduate, a University of Arkanasas
alumni magazine
Researcher 1/2013-5/2013University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
• Conducted in-depth literature review for independent research project.• Surveyed spring wildflower abundance in Pea Ridge National Military Park.• Wrote and submitted report to park management.
Community Service—Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society restorations, Fayetteville Public Library events, Northwest Arkansas Dressage Club shows and media.
Where do you see your path travel-
ing?
Down forested pathes?
How about down experimental
pathes.
Research ecology at USDA
Forest Service’s
Northeastern Research Station:
the Fernow Experimental
Forest.