For Trinity Hamm, a love for agriculture started on her family’s small hobby farm in southern Pennsylvania. In high school, Hamm joined FFA, a student organization for those interested in…
Flowering Dogwood Research and Graduate Life: Trinity Hamm
Cotton Insect Research and Graduate Life: Nathan Arey
After scouting soybean fields, Nathan Arey discovered a passion for field crop research. Upon earning a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Clemson University, Arey pursued a master’s degree at…
Researching Fall Armyworm Resistance and Navigating Graduate Life: Raj Roy
For Raj Roy, science isn’t just a field of study – it’s a way of thinking. Focusing on bioinformatics, genomics, and molecular interactions, Roy’s graduate research seeks to uncover how…
Cacao Research and Graduate Life: Lenardo Ash
Lenardo Ash, a native of Belize, grew up in a rural community with a strong connection to nature. After earning a bachelor’s degree in natural resources management from the University…
Nematode Management in Soybean Systems and Graduate Life: Amanda Blazek
Amanda Blazek, a West Tennessee native, has always been passionate about biology. After earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin, she joined the Department of Entomology…
Fire Ant Genetics and Graduate Life: Allyson Dekovich
Born and raised in Michigan, Allyson Dekovich moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2020 to join the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology as a master’s student. Now a PhD student…
Behind the Code: Ryan Kuster
Entomology and Plant Pathology alumnus and bioinformatics consultant Ryan Kuster uses custom code to unlock insights in genomics, metagenomics, and phylogenomics. After completing his master’s degree at UNC Greensboro, Kuster moved to…
Developing Molecular Tools for Forest Protection: Meher Ony
Meher Ony, a doctoral student from Bangladesh, is dedicated to advancing our understanding of forest resources. Ony pursued a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences before joining the University of Tennessee…
Advancing Genomic Studies in Dogwood Health through Graduate Research: Shade Niece
After earning a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Shade Niece joined the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology (EPP) as a research assistant. After…
Bridging Continents Through Bioinformatics Research: Michelle Odoi
At a young age, Michelle Odoi developed a passion for agriculture, which has taken her across the globe. Odoi began her academic journey at the University of Ghana, where she…
