Graduate Profiles

Advisor: Dr. Shui-zhang Fei

Degree Sought: PhD

Major: IGG

Current Research: Not yet Finalized

Career Goals: Be as useful as possible to society.

Hometown: Banepa, Nepal

Hobbies: Strolling around nature

Advisor: Dr. Chris Currey

Degree Sought: Master of Science

Major(s): Horticulture

Current Research: I will be exploring the effect of fertilization on the post-harvest performance of containerized herbs.

Career Goals: Extension and Outreach for commercial greenhouse growers.

Hometown: Grinnell, Iowa

Hobbies: Cooking and baking, window gardening, exploring new restaurants, and spoiling my dog.

Advisor: Dr. Shui-zhang Fei

Degree Sought: PhD

Major: Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

Current Research: Use of computational tools for the study of freezing tolerance/disease resistance, summer dormancy and floral transition in perennial ground cover crops.

Career Goals: I aim to make myself proficient in the use of computational tools to unravel the underlying mechanisms of important crop species for the betterment of the world.

Hometown: Bhairahawa, Nepal

Hobbies: Dancing, Baking, Singing, Hiking.

Advisor: Dr. Adam Thoms

Degree Sought: M.S. of Horticulture

Major: Horticulture, emphasis in turfgrass management

Current Research: Golf course putting green management

Career Goals: Travel, have a family, love my job

Hometown: Topeka, Kansas

Hobbies: Golf, showing cattle, and making wines from different oak trees

Major Professor: Dr. Ajay Nair

Degree Sought: MS in Sustainable Agriculture

Major: Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture

Current Research: My current research focuses on looking at the efficacy of insect netting for pest management organic vegetable production system

Career Goals: Formulate sustainable, eco-friendly and economical recommendations for grower’s benefits

Hometown: Punjab, India

Hobbies: Love collecting stamps and coins, and being a plant mom!

Advisor: Dr. Shui-zhang Fei

Degree Sought: PhD

Major(s): Interdepartmental Genetics and Genomics

Current Research: Develop readily suppressed ground covers for maize and soybean with a main focus on summer dormancy grasses.

Career Goals: continue to work in academia and also a research scientist in plant breeding and genetics.

Hometown: Hyderabad, INDIA

Hobbies: Painting, Dancing and traveling

Major Professor: Dr. Adam Thoms

Degree Sought: M.S. of Horticulture

Major: Horticulture, emphasis in turfgrass management

Current Research: Turfgrass Management

Career Goals: Work for FIFA, Create my own business and travel around the world with my job and also for fun.

Hometown: Limón, Costa Rica

Hobbies: Sowing Sun flowers and Aloe vera, going for a hike, contemplate nature, and watch sports and movies.

Major Professor: Suzanne Slack

Degree Sought: Master’s

Major: Horticulture

Current Research: Viticultural practices of interspecific cold hardy hybrids. Disease identification of declining grapevines in the state of Iowa.

Career Goals: Extension or pursuing a career with the USDA ARS. Happiness hopefully.

Hometown: Waterloo, Iowa

Hobbies: Cats, fiber arts, baking, ceramics, and pasta making.

Major Professor: Dr. Chris Currey

Degree Sought: Masters

Major: Horticulture

Current Research: The effects of pH on hydroponic culinary herb production

Career Goals: Greenhouse Extension

Hometown: Dubuque, IA

Hobbies: Gardening, reading, music, video games

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Major Professor: Dr. Shui-zhang Fei

Degree Sought: PhD

Major: Plant Breeding

Current Research: Breeding for summer dormant grasses as perennial ground cover for crop production.

Career Goals: As a passionate and aspiring plant scientist, I’m determined to revolutionize agriculture by leveraging cutting-edge molecular plant breeding technologies. My ultimate goal is to play a significant role in improving global food security and sustainability.

Hometown: Haryana, India

Hobbies: I like meeting new people and developing connections. Apart from that, I am very much into music, especially instrumental. I love playing soccer, badminton and working out in the gym.

Advisor:  Dr. Gail Nonnecke

Degree Sought:  Master of Science

Major:  Horticulture

Current Research:  Assessing the effect of cover crop mulches on onion production in Kamuli, Uganda. The study specifically seeks to establish the socio economic characteristics of local vegetable farmers, evaluating the effect of using cover crop mulches on onion production and also assess the economic feasibility of use of cover crop mulches on onion production.

Career Goals:  After my studies, I plan to go back to my home country to continue facilitating and empowering youth farmers in agriculture and other income generating innovation activities for their improved sustainable livelihoods.

Hometown:  Bushenyi, Uganda.

Hobbies: Listening to music, cooking, hanging out with friends

Advisor: Adam Thoms

Degree Sought: MS

Major: Horticulture (Turfgrass)

Current Research: Sod Tensile Strength

Career Goals: Turfgrass agronomist

Hometown: Goodfield, Illinois 

Hobbies: Golf, Hunting, Fishing, and growing turfgrass

Advisor: Dr. Suzanne Slack

Degree Sought: PhD

Major: Horticulture

Current Research: Cider apple cultivars: cider quality and tree health in modern training systems.

Career Goals: Supervisor/superintendent of a research station specializing in specialty crop research.

Hometown: Dubuque, Iowa

Hobbies: I’m the head coach of the boxing sports club at Iowa State. We do a lot of traveling via car to boxing competitions, so I can double dip into my other hobby: ‘popcorn’ horror fiction audiobooks. It comes in handy when I need to stay awake on the drive back to Ames when all my athletes are asleep in the back seat…

Advisor: Drs. Gail Nonnecke and Emily Zimmerman

Degree Sought: Master of Science

Major: Environmental Science and Horticulture

Current Research: Identifying and minimizing barriers to environmental-science curriculum implementation in local schools of St. John, USVI, and determining best seed priming strategies to enhance germination of native plant species to promote ecological restoration in St. John.

Career Goals: My improbable career goal is to gain employment in the United Nations Global Development Program as a program coordinator. My more likely career goal is to work in the extension field as an expert in sustainable food crop production.

Hometown: Linden, Iowa

Hobbies: Full-time houseplant and hamster mom, fitness classes, board games

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Advisor: Dr. Ajay Nair

Degree Sought: Master of Science

Major(s): Horticulture and Sustainable Agriculture

Current Research: My research will look into the efficacy of tarping in direct-seeded vegetable crops. Tarping involves using a heavy-duty plastic, such as silage tarp, to be placed over the ground prior to planting to heat the soil and suppress weeds for a period of time. The length and type of weed suppression after tarping will be examined. I will also look at the effect this practice has on soil health and microbiology.

Career Goals: I’m interested in working with growers through extension, outreach, or an organization promoting sustainability. I want to help implement and promote sustainable practices that build soil health and support regenerative agriculture as well as the grower.

Hometown: Waverly, IA

Hobbies: Gardening, baking, visiting antique stores, and any outdoor activities

Advisor: Dr. Ajay Nair

Degree Sought: M.S. Horticulture

Major: Horticulture

Current Research: Not yet decided

Career Goals: Make everything sustainable, eco-friendly production of fruits and vegetables

Hometown: Tamil Nadu, India

Hobbies: Love to cook, drawing, visiting historical places

Advisor: Dr. Ajay Nair

Degree Sought: M.S. Horticulture

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