Featuring: Dr. Olivia Marie Lenahan

Ph.D. Horticulture - Fall, 2009

Risk Analyst, North Carolina State University - USDA

I came to Iowa State University in 2006, after having finished my MS in pomology at Washington State University. At ISU, I veered my focus from tree fruit to woody ornamentals and began work on my PhD studies in Horticulture with Dr. Graves.

I decided to focus my research on the American snowbell tree, Styrax americanus - an ornamental tree considered rare in cultivation. This species interested me for a number of reasons. American snowbell grows in floodplains and swamp margins. In late spring, the tree brightens the understory with small white flowers, and throughout the year, the roots are submerged for weeks at a time. This attractive and resilient tree had piqued my interest!

Over the next three years, I filled the greenhouse with seedlings of S. americanus, and studied the cold hardiness and genetic diversity of this interesting tree. Thanks to my advisor, my experience at ISU was rich with opportunities. I presented my research findings at conferences, traveled to swampy niches to collect seeds and leaf material for research, and was given the freedom to explore ideas. I will always appreciate my time in the Horticulture department at ISU - sharing ideas with colleagues and spending mornings in the greenhouse scented by snowbell blooms. With support from Dr. Graves and faculty and staff in the Horticulture department, I received my PhD degree in December 2009.

I currently work for North Carolina State University as a cooperator with USDA-APHIS. I feel fortunate to work with a talented team composed of entomologists, plant pathologists, and weed scientists. Our goal is to evaluate the risk that invasive plants and pests may enter and establish in the United States, and then to recommend measures to improve safeguards. I credit my experiences at ISU with helping me get to where I am today. Thank you Iowa State University!