Postdocs, graduate students & technicians
Swapna Priya Rajarapu, Postdoctoral Scholar (NCSU), 2019 – 2023. Current position: Research Associate at Whitehill Lab, Christmas Tree Genetics Program, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, NCSU
Jinlong Han, Ph. D Graduate (NCSU, Plant Pathology), 2017 – 2022. Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
Yesenia Ithai Angeles Lopez, Postdoctoral researcher (NCSU), 2017 – 2021. Current position: Full-time Professor in Science and Math (Teaching) at Professor of Biotechnology at Arkansas State University, Campus Querétaro, Mexico
Sanjay Basnet, Postdoctoral researcher (NCSU), 2018 – July 2020. Current position: certified SAS programmer with Momentum Research LLC, NC.
Alma Laney, USDA-NIFA ELI Postdoctoral Fellow (NCSU & KSU), 2014 – 2019. Current position: Assistant Professor at Utah Valley University, UT.
Rodolfo Acosta Leal, Postdoctoral researcher (KSU), 2012-2013. Current position: Adjunct Instructor at Murray College, OK.
Punya Nachappa, Postdoctoral researcher (KSU), 2008-2010. Current position: Assistant Professor at Colorado State University, CO.
Derek Schneweis, Ph. D. Graduate (KSU, Plant Pathology), 2011 – 2017. Current position: Vice President of Upstream Product Development & Molecular Biologist at Ventria Bioscience, Kansas R&D Center and Biomanufacturing, KS.
Alexandria Leach Kieffaber, Lab Technician (KSU), 2014 – 2017. Current position: Laboratory Research Specialist, Gen 3 Research and Development Lab, MSBiotec LLC, KS.
Kaylee Hervey, Part-time Lab Technician (KSU), 2012 – 2014. Current position: Epidemiology Program Manager, Sedgwick County Health Department, KS.
Undergraduate research mentees
NCSU:
Katy Cernava (Double major: Environmental Science and Plant Biology), ENT 493 Special Problems in Entomology (Spring 2020).
Addie Corso (Crop and Soil Science), CSSC 492 Internship Experience (Spring & Summer 2019), Undergraduate hourly.
Ashley Philbrick (Biological Sciences), BSC 493 Research Experience (Fall 2018), Undergraduate hourly. Current: MS student in Plant Pathology Graduate Program at NCSU.
Alison Csapo (Agriculture Science), Undergraduate hourly (2019).
Prior to NCSU:
Donald Pierce (Fishery Wildlife & Conservation Biology, KSU), Undergraduate hourly (2015 – 2016).
Obdulia Covarrubius-Zambrano (Biochemistry, KSU), Developing Scholars Program, McNair Program, NSF-URM Ecological Genomics Fellow, and Thrips Tospovirus Education Network Fellow (2013 – 2015). Current: Earned Ph.D. in Chemistry (Bossmann lab) as NSF-GRFP Fellow @ KSU in 2019.
Brandi Schneweis (Business & Psychology double major, KSU), Thrips Tospovirus Education Network Fellow, Undergraduate hourly (2011 – 2014).
Jennifer Howell (Biology, KSU), Undergraduate hourly (2012 – 2013).
Laura Erbe (Pre-Vet Med, KSU), Undergraduate hourly (2012 – 2013).
Muyun Cui (Biological Ag. Engineering, KSU), Undergraduate hourly (2012 – 2013).
Joshua Ames (Biology – Microbiology, KSU), Developing Scholar Program, NSF-URM Ecological Genomics Fellow, Terry C. Johnson Cancer Research Fellow, and Thrips Tospovirus Education Network Fellow (2011 – 2015). Current: Ph.D. candidate (Shukla lab) & NSF-GRFP Fellow in Virology @ University of Illinois at Chicago.
Kaylee Hervey (Animal Science, KSU), Undergraduate hourly (2011 – 2012).
Kara Baker (Microbiology), Undergraduate hourly (2011).
Alexandria Leach Keiffaber (Animal Science and Microbiology, KSU), Terry C. Johnson Cancer Research Fellow and Kansas Wheat Alliance Undergraduate Fellow (2009 – 2014).
Derek Schneweis (Biology and Anthropology double major, KSU), Terry C. Johnson Cancer Research Fellow and Kansas and Kansas Academy of Science Undergraduate Fellow (2008 – 2011). See above section for current status.
Jeanne Pierzynski (Biology, KSU), Terry C. Johnson Cancer Research Fellow (2007 – 2009). Earned Ph.D. in Cancer Epidemiology @ Genetics & Epigenetics Program (Wu lab) at University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Current position: Manager Center for Observational Research and Data Science at Bristol-Myers Squibb, NY.
Faith Bartz (Plant Pathology, UW-Madison, WI), Plant Microbe Interactions Program (1999). Earned Ph.D. in Plant Pathology @ NCSU (Cubeta lab). Current position: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Science and Technology Policy Fellow and Agricultural Advisor, USAID/Ethiopia Office of Economic Growth and Transformation.