Family Facts
How many siblings and cats does Ellie have?
100 extra points if you can name my siblings
100 extra points if you can name my cats
2 little sisters; Katie and Maddie, 2 cats; Katana and Princess
Name one of Ellie's favorite music artists
Laufey, Megan thee stallion, Stray Kids, Tracy Chapman, Def Leppard, Brandi Carlile, the list goes on.
Ellie's little sister Katie would say that her habits fall within this age group/generation...
Millennial
What is the name of Ellie's childhood best friend
(we've been friends for 15 years and counting!)
Brynne Anne Kelly Dixon
Congratz, you found the Special Question!
Describe Ellie's research in the May Lab in as much detail as you can. The points are ADDITIVE (i.e. if you want the 500 point value, you must also accurately answer the prompts for the lower point levels).
100 points - the organism or protein name
200 points - how many semesters/summers she's done the research
300 points - accurate description of the central question she's exploring
400 points - accurate description of the methods and/or results she's used to explore the central question
500 points - in a perfect world, what would she research in her Ph.D.?
1. DcrB is a Salmonella enterica copper resistance protein
2. Since freshman year spring, 6 semesters, and one summer
3. How does the copper resistance protein work, and how is its structure, stability, and function related?
4. Methods: CD, Salmonella spot dilution assay, X-ray crystallography. Results: crystallized and actively solving the structure to 1.74 angstrom resolution, first author on 2 upcoming publications, honorable mention at ASBMB etc.
5. In a perfect world she would do structural biology research on a multifunctional viral protein.
What are Ellie's parents' names?
Matt and Jennifer
What is Ellie's favorite movie? (Two correct options)
The Princess Bride or Tangled
According to Alexander Pabst Krammer (M.D.), Ellie has a chronic condition called Spending Money.
Name TWO THINGS Ellie is likely to splurge on?
- Expensive bacon and eggs
- Fancy lattes
- Concert tickets
- Flights to see Alex
Since Ellie was in elementary school, she's had one name in mind for her future daughter. What is that name?
Hint: If Ellie had to be any living thing other than a person, she would want to be this.
Willow
Which of these is false about Ellie's high school experiences?
a. Ellie was captain of her high school speech team and one regional titles
b. Ellie was prom queen
c. Ellie's ex boyfriend stood outside her bedroom window, playing a guitar, to get her to take him back
c is false.
She did date a guitar player but he never played outside her bedroom window.
Where are Ellie's little sisters going to school?
*One is in college, the other is in high school. For the high school sister, you can give me either the name of her high school, or a school she's considering.
50 extra points if you can name what the college sister is studying!
1. Katie is a sophomore at the U of M Twin Cities studying economics, math, and Mandarin
2. Maddie is a senior at Mounds View High School and is considering a variety of colleges, like UW Eau Claire, St. Olaf, and Bethel University
What is Ellie's favorite flower?
Roses, specifically red ones!
Name one behavior Ellie slips into when she's sad or her feelings are hurt.
- Goes quiet
- Listens to N. Flying or stray kids
- Takes a nap
- Probably cries a lot
Which of these is a bad habit Ellie's had since preschool?
a. Biting her nails
b. Chewing her lip
c. Tapping her pencil
b. Chewing her lip
Ellie is missing an organ that many of you take for granted.
What is this organ?
She only has one kidney.
BONUS QUESTION for 100 points:
Which side is it missing from?
Tell one story about Ellie's parents.
Examples:
- How Ellie's parents and/or Joe and Susan got together
- Ellie's dad saying he and his siblings were likely all accidents
- Ellie's mom being obsessed with Ellie and Alex
answers may vary.
What is Ellie's favorite book series? (2 acceptable answers).
1. Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson
2. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
In order to be productive, Ellie may do a couple things to get her in the right mindset. Name 2 of these things.
- Listen to music
- Go to a coffee shop/library
- Have a little fancy drink
- Light a candle
- Give herself a pep talk
What was Ellie's FAVORITE web game from her childhood, where she spent countless hours playing dress-up, painting masterpieces, and bargaining in a complex economy. She is convinced this game was why she and Brynne remained friends through elementary and middle school
Animal Jam
Before Ellie wanted to be a biochem professor, she always knew she wanted to be a teacher... mostly.
Name one of the two quirky things Ellie wrote that she wanted to be when she grew up in elementary school.
A crane driver or an NBA player
What is Ellie's middle name (300 points), and who was she named after (200 points)?
Susan. She is named after her Dad's older sister, Sue.
What is Ellie's favorite dessert in the world?
Salted caramel tirimisu
Ellie is currently keeping a running excel spreadsheet tracking the number of times she does ___.
What is that habit, and what is the current running number of times she has done this thing since the year started?
200 points - what is the spreadsheet tracking?
300 points - within 15 of the correct answer
Ellie is tracking the number of times she cries this year.
As of 11/9, the number is 126 times.
In elementary school during Jump Rope for Heart with Brynne, Ellie kicked Darren Andralle in the shins, which caused her to be sent to the Dean's office.
What event occurred for Ellie to assault Darren?
He called her the wrong name. He said "hi Ella" which Ellie assumed meant he was calling her a grandma; since my mom's grandma's name is Ella.
Name every job Ellie's ever held starting from her first job at age 15. This includes any official position Ellie has held for pay.
(7/8 correct will be required for points)
- Carbone's Pizza
- $5 Tan
- Speech Judge
- Chemistry Tutor
- Chemistry SI Leader
- Chemistry SI Leader Mentor
- Argonne Summer Researcher
- Summer Researcher in the May Lab