Current Graduate Students
Emmanuel Annan
Ph.D. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Li Huang
Research Area: I will be working on the pea project with the goal of Identifying the level of resistance in Ascochyta blight together with other wheat projects.
Akshara Bathini
Ph.D. Plant Genetics
Advisor: Dr. Jamie Sherman
Research Area:
Abiotic stress studies in cereal crops. Exploring heat and drought tolerance in barley
by leveraging GWAS and transcriptomic approaches.
Natalie Brennan
Ph.D. Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Jessica Kansman
Research Area: Ecology and management of aphid vectors in potato systems.
Luis Esquivel Cervantes
M.S. - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Mike Giroux
Research Area: I will be working on how dithiosphosphates and their release of hydrogen sulfides impact plant growth and development normally under plant stress.
Erika Consoli
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Alan Dyer
Research Area: Wheat resistance to root lesion nematodes. Wheat - nematode - microbiome interactions.
Ricardo Javier Leiton Cubillo
M.S. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Dr. Sue Mondal
Research Area: I will be working with drones to detect the degree of resistance of wheat lines to Fusarium head blight.
Sam Decker
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Dr. Chaofu Lu
Research Area:
Demian Dlakic
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Dr. Andreas Fischer
Research Area:
Marie Dorval
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Frankie Crutcher
Research Area: Studying the effect of intercropping on disease severity and dispersal of Ascochyta rabiei.
Shreya Gautam
Ph.D. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Kevin McPhee
Research Area: Phenotyping Spring Wheat.
Caleb Hale
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Mike Giroux
Research Area: Ways to increase productivity, seed size, and protein content of durum, spring, and winter wheat.
Del Hannay
Ph.D. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Ryan Thum
Research Area: Evolutionary history and processes of aquatic plants.
Chloe Hinson
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Lachowiec
Research Area: Seeking to understand how brassinosteroid hormone treatments affect wheat quality and gene expression during heat stress.
Venkat Kadium
Naomi Kaku
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Michelle Flenniken
Research Area:
Joseph Kibiwott
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Kevin McPhee and Dr. 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.
Erik Killian
Ph.D. Plant Gentics
Advisors: Dr. Jennifer Lachowiec and Dr. Jed Eberly
Research Area: Defining the relationship between barley and its associated soil microbe community.
Aristea King
Ph.D. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Lachowiec
Research Area:
John Paul Kole
Ph.D. Entomology
Advisor: Dr. Michael Ivie
Research Area:
Zachary Kuzniar
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Dr. Ryan Thum
Research Area:
Evolutionary ecology of aquatic plants.
Jared Lile
Ph.D. Plant Sciences
Advisors: Dr. Jennifer Lachowiec and Dr. Jason Cook
Research Area:
Janaki Mahat
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Jamie Sherman
Research Area: Working to find genetic control of resistance to wheat stem sawfly in barley.
Muhammad Umer Masood
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Ryan Thum
Research Area:
Vishal Monga
Ph.D. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Frankie Crutcher
Research Area: I am studying the ecological and environmental factors influencing the spread of Ascochyta rabiei and how they relate to fungicide application timing to enhance disease control in chickpeas.
Chiseche Mwanza
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Qing Yan
Research Area: Identification and characterization of beneficial bacteria to control pea (Pisum sativum) Ascochyta blight disease.
Krishna Nandakumar
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Lachowiec
Research Area: Improving camelina using molecular approaches.
Dhirendra Niroula
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Janak Joshi
Research Area: Exploring the potential of plant protease inhibitors for plant disease management.
Dipiza Oli
M.S. Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Alan Dyer
Research Area: Biocontrol of invasive weed using Fusarium.
Trevor Palone
Ph.D. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Jamie Sherman
Research Area:
Monika Parajuli
M.S. Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Li Huang
Research Area: Cloning of Ascochyta blight-resistant genes in peas and developing molecular markers for selecting the gene.
Ayax Del Valle Sanchez
M.S. Entomology
Advisor: Dr. Kevin Wanner
Research area: I am currently involved in alfalfa weevil control research, enhancing existing integrated pest management (IPM) tools. Our objective is to deepen our understanding of the biology and behavior of alfalfa weevils, particularly their egg-laying patterns in relation to temperature and other environmental conditions. By studying these factors, we aim to predict population peaks during the crop season. This knowledge will enable us to refine IPM strategies and develop more effective measures to control alfalfa weevil populations.
Jenish Simon
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Kevin McPhee
Research Area: Pyramiding resistant genes for aphanomyces resistance in peas.
Kaelin Smith
M.S. Entomology
Advisor: Dr. Tiziana Oppedisano and Dr. Jessica Kansman
Research Area: Application of remote sensing as a decision-making tool for wheat stem sawfly and wireworms in wheat and interactions between wheat root-emitted VOC's and wireworms.
Brandon Tillett
Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Dr. Michael Giroux
Research Area: Genetics and breeding of durum, winter and spring wheat.
Ashley Wolfe
M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Ryan Thum
Research Area: Evolutionary ecology of invasive aquativ plants.
ashley.wolfe3@montana.edu
Mei Ling Wong
Ph.D Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Dr. Jason Cook
Research Area:
My research focuses on finding a gene that controls spikelet number per spike in wheat and understanding plant plasticity and interaction effects on grain yield among multiple
yield component traits (spikelet number per spike, tiller number, and grain weight).