Elias Zuchelli, a graduate student studying plant pathology, was inspired by his parents’ farming legacy. From his early days on the farm, Elias learned the ropes, facing challenges head-on. With a degree in agronomy, he’s now diving into research to predict disease occurrence, eager to find solutions for farmers.

Q&A with Elias Zuchelli

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Following in my parents’ footsteps, my journey in agriculture began when I was young. Being engaged in a farmer’s daily routine, I learned not only the struggles, difficulties, and challenges agriculture can face but also the noble mission of producing food. That cemented a big part of my personality, one of hard work, persistence, and the willingness to be involved in agriculture. Moving toward a career in agriculture, I had no doubt what steps I wanted to take. I received a Bachelor’s in agronomy and joined a plant pathology research group. I was interested in learning as much as I could. Interestingly, by following my colleagues’ example, I started paving my unique career path. I am always conscious of working towards solutions that can help farmers improve their management practices.

What is your current concentration?

Plant Pathology

What courses are you currently taking? 

I am currently taking Data Analytics in Agricultural and Ecological Systems, which will help me to establish the foundation to further develop skills in machine learning.

How has your academic training at The University of Tennessee prepared you for a career in the industry?

The program has prepared me for a career in industry, particularly through involvement in extension activities such as scouting fields, presenting at field days, contacting extension agents, assisting at the diagnostic lab, and engaging with farmers to understand their challenges and needs.

Another component I would like to mention is the scientific meetings my advisor allows me to attend; they are critical for developing a good network with students and professors from other universities and company representatives.

Can you tell me about your research?

The goal of my project is to develop algorithms that predict disease occurrence and identify the most profitable and sustainable control method. Currently, I am extracting temperature measurements from aerial photographs of small research plots and looking for associations between the disease severity and temperature surface for that plot.

What are your primary obstacles in answering this question?

Learning how to fly a drone. Learning the controls and maneuvers required to navigate the drone effectively was challenging initially.

What has been the highlight of your graduate school experiences so far?

One of my highlight experiences during graduate school was completing an internship at Rothamsted Research in England and learning about agriculture in Europe.

What do you believe is your biggest academic achievement?

Some of my biggest achievements were becoming an FFAR fellow and a reviewer for the journals Crop Protection and Tropical Plant Pathology. 

What kind of extracurricular activities do you participate in?

I am an APS Southern Division student representative, where I am involved in planning the annual APS meetings.

What are your favorite hobbies?

I like working out, playing tennis, and traveling.

What are your favorite things to do on campus?

As I stay off campus, when I am in Knoxville, I am catching up with professors and the other students from the department.

Any advice you would like to share with a prospective student?

This is a little funny because two new master’s students started our program this spring. I talked to them for about three hours about the department, coursework, and much more. However, if I had to give only one piece of advice to a prospective student, it would be: “Trust yourself, your abilities, your eagerness to learn, and make science”.