“Eucalyptus, Lemon, Peppermint, and Rock Rose and Stress in College Students:

How to Use Aromatherapy Case Studies in Undergraduate Education to Teach Integrated Chemistry and Biology”

with Dr. DorothyBelle Poli

A group of 4 undergraduate research students wanted to build a unified study to explore how essential oils would impact college student stress. Over the course of an academic year, each student developed a detailed understanding surrounding one plant and its essential oil. Together they built a unified, double blind experiment that worked to test established primary literature findings in aromatherapy on a unique population. These research students needed to develop key concepts in biology, chemistry, botany, psychology, and aromatherapy to execute the experience well. In addition, they cross-analyzed their data to test their independent and collective hypotheses. The overall experience provided an opportunity for deeper student learning and a stronger appreciation of cultural botanical uses while expanding the knowledge in aromatherapy.

More about Dr. Poli:

Dr. DorothyBelle Poli is a trained plant physiologist (University of Maryland). Her work with the Dragon Research Collaborative explored how the Carboniferous fossil plants were connected to dragon folklore around the world. This work won Dr. Poli several awards. And her hormone work explained how axis formation was critical for the evolution of plant form. Currently at Roanoke College, Dr. Poli teaches cell biology, botany, evolution, and ethnobotany but has recently been named the Director of Cannabis Studies. After a 25+ year career, Dr. Poli has taken on a broader perspective on plant education and incorporates traditional plant knowledge into Western education for a more wholistic perspective. In 2020, Dr. Poli acquired her Level 2 Aromatherapy certificate and enjoys incorporating this fantastic chemistry into her courses and into her natural skin care business.