Rachel Carpenter, originally from Arlington, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis, recently graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science through the…
Building a Career in Science: Rachel Carpenter
Tomato Plant Research and Graduate Life: Amanda Penicks
For Amanda Penicks, the passion for agriculture began at the age of five in Southern California. Raised in a small farming community, Penicks was involved in the 4-H youth organization…
Flowering Dogwood Research and Graduate Life: Trinity Hamm
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…
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…
