Current Graduate Students
Burak Avci
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Jennifer Lachowiec
Research Area:
Maggie Brazier
Ph.D - Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisors: Jamie Sherman, Frankie Crutcher
Research Area: Cereal Grains
Brittney Brewer
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Mike Giroux and Jason Cook
Research Area:
Genetic dissection of yield and yield component traits in spring wheat
McKenna Brown
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Michael Giroux
Research Area:
Durum genetics and breeding
Collins Bugingo
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Mary Burrows
Research Area:
Understanding the Fusarium pathosystem in lentils through characterization and devising
management approaches for this yield-robbing pathogen in the Northern Great Plains.
Gregory Chorak
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Ryan Thum
Research Area:
Vinicius Ferreira
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Michael Ivie
Research Area:
Evolution, systematics and taxonomy of Insecta, with emphasis in Coleoptera (Beetles)
of the family Lycidae and Omethidae.
Katie Gannon
Advisor: Ryan Thum
Research Area: Population dymanics of Eurasian watermilfoil
Megan Hager
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: David Weaver
Research Area: Using 'omics methods to study plant response to wheat stem sawfly.
Caleb Hale
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Mike Giroux
Research Area: Ways to increase productivity, seed size, and protein content of durum, spring, and winter wheat
Kendra Hertweck
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Andreas Fischer
Research Area:
Cysteine protease family C1A's role in malt barley leaf senescence.
Hannah Hoff
Ph.D. Plant Sciences-Plant Genetics
Advisor: Ryan Thum
Research Area:
Traci Hoogland
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Jamie Sherman
Research Area:
Accelerating the development of barley varieties for improved forage quality and yield
Joseph Jensen
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Jamie Sherman
Research Area:
Genetic dissection of malt quality in Barley
Naomi Kaku
Ph.D.
Advisor: Michelle Flenniken
Research Area:
Joseph Kibiwott
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Kevin McPhee/Jed Eberly
Research Area:
Evaluating the effects of seeding rates and inoculant performance on nodulation, weed
suppression, and relative yields of different lentil varieties grown in the Northern
Great Plains.
Pragya Kiju
M.S. Entomology
Advisor: Michael Ivie
Research Area:
Pea leaf weevil (PLW) management in Montana.
Erik Killian
Ph.D. Plant Gentics
Advisor: Jennifer Lachowiec
Research Area:
John Paul Kole
M.S. Entomology
Advisor: Michael Ivie
Research Area:
Aishwarya Kothari
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Jennifer Lachowiec
Research Area:
Studying the effects of heat stress on spring wheat and using brassinosteroids to
help plants tolerate heat and drought stresses.
Zachary Kuzniar
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Ryan Thum
Research Area:
Evolutionary ecology of aquatic plants
Xiao Lai
Advisor: Qing Yan
Research Area: Biological control of plant diseases.
Paul Lorenzo
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Phil Bruckner and Mary Burrows
Research Area:
Assessing the effectiveness of resistance genes for Wheat streak mosaic virus and its vector, the wheat curl mite, in winter wheat. His focus is on three genes: Wsm1, Wsm2, and Cmc4.
Charlemagne Lim
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Alan Dyer
Research Area:
Alex McMenamin
Ph.D. Microbiology
Advisor: Michelle Flenniken
Research Area:
Kyla McNamara
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Alan Dyer and Darrin Boss
Research Area: Agronimics and adaptability of quinoa in dryland Montana.
Carmen Murphy
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Mary Burrows
Research Area: Root rot mitigation of pulse crops.
Jeff Pashnick
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Ryan Thum
Research Area:
Zoe Pritchard
M.S. Entomology
Advisor: Michael Ivie
Research Area: Diversity and distribution of wild bees in Montana.
Gillian Reynolds
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Jennifer Lachowiec
Research Area:
Erika Rodbell
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Kevin Wanner
Research Area:
Brian Ross
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Michelle Flenniken
Research Area:
Ramandeep Sandhi
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Michael Ivie
Research Area:
Integrated Pest Management, Biological control of wireworms using Entomopathogenic
nematodes
Durc Setzer
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Macdonald Burgess
Research Area:
Charles Watt
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Macdonald Burgess
Research Area:
Josey Ugrin
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Michael Giroux
Research Area: Genetics and breeding of durum, winter and spring wheat
Jessica Williams
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Jamie Sherman
Research Area:
Genetics and physiology of root systems in malt barley and spring wheat.
Sophie Winitsky
Ph.D. Plant Science
Advisor - Matt Lavin
Research Area: Evolution, biogeography and taxonomy of the legume genus Marina
Yi Zhou
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Kevin McPhee and Chengi Chen
Research Area: Effects of Pythium and CruiserMaxx on chickpea plant growth.