Fueled by his upbringing, Dawson Kerns, a doctoral student in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, is dedicated to understanding a major cotton pest, bollworm, and its resistance mechanisms.…
From Investigating Bollworm Resistance to Navigating Graduate School: Dawson Kerns
Discovering Medical Entomology: Rebecca Butler
While building a career as a wildlife mammalogist, Rebecca Butler discovered medical entomology. This event inspired her to enroll in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology and study under…
Plant Pathology Research: Taylor Miller
Taylor Miller began her profession in the chemical industry, developing adjuvants to improve herbicide and fungicide applications. After working in this field, Miller was inspired to seek a deeper education in plant diseases. In…
Impactful Research in Plant Pathology: Shelly Pate
Shelly Pate, a doctoral student concentrating in plant pathology, studies the relationship between nematodes and an emerging soil-borne fungal pathogen (Xylaria necrophora) to help farmers safeguard their crops. As a…
Full-Time Employee Pursues Degree in Entomology and Plant Pathology: Sandra Pena
Sandra Pena, a graduate student pursuing a graduate degree in Entomology and Plant Pathology at the Herbert College of Agriculture, discusses her graduate project regarding delusional parasitosis and how it…
A Path in Research and Entrepreneurship: Žaklina Pavlović
Žaklina Pavlović, fondly known as Jackie, brings a wealth of expertise and enthusiasm to our academic community. As a Ph.D. student under the guidance of Dr. Bob Trigiano, Pavlović ‘s…
Jessica Krob’s Path in Entomology
Jessica Krob was born in the “Air Capital of the World,” Wichita, Kansas. However, when she was a young child, her family moved to Springfield, Missouri. Her favorite part about…
Rufus Akinrinlola’s Contributions to Sustainable Farming
Rufus Akinrinlola was born and raised in Southwest Nigeria. While in his home country, he also received his undergraduate degree in microbiology. Before enrolling as a Ph.D. student within the…
Jesse Webster’s Path in Entomology and Conservation
Jesse Webster grew up in Greene County, Tennessee, a county that he said is known for its strong foundation in agriculture and natural resources. As matured in a city surrounded…
Swati Mishra Pursues Knowledge in Bioinformatics and Genomics
After receiving her undergraduate degree in Biotechnology in India, Swati joined the department as a master’s student. However, time has flown since then. Swati is now a third-year Ph.D. student…