Zane Smith, a graduate student in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, was selected to receive the 2023 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. This highly competitive award recognizes graduate students who are anticipated to become knowledge experts and contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering.

Smith’s research focuses on generating and utilizing computational genomic resources for the conservation of imperiled and endangered forest trees, primarily native ash trees. Through his research, Zane seeks to understand how genomic techniques can be applied to understand and leverage adaptive potential for the conservation of at-risk species to secure their presence in the wild.

“Thank you to all of my amazing mentors, labmates, and collaborators for your part in shaping my research journey in conservation. Special thanks to my advisors, Dr. Denita Hadziabdic Guerry and Dr. Meg Staton, for your support. This wouldn’t be possible without all of you!”

For more information about the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, visit nsfgrfp.org.