Current Graduate Students

Burak Avci

M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Lachowiec

Research Area: Photoperiod sensitivity and flowering time in Cannabis sativa L. 

Maggie Brazier

 Ph.D - Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisors: Dr. Jamie Sherman, Dr. Frankie Crutcher

Research Area:  Cereal Grains

Collins Bugingo

Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. 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: Dr. Ryan Thum

Research Area: 

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

M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Chengci Chen and Dr. Chaofu Lu

Research Area: Phenotyping Spring Wheat

Tom Grubb

M.S. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Alan Dyer 
Research Area: Looking into the effectiveness of popular fungal seed treatments in commercial wheat fields and understanding the role that seed-borne inoculum plays in grower's disease pressure

Megan Hager

Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Dr. David Weaver

Research Area: Using 'omics methods to study plant response to wheat stem sawfly.

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

Joseph Jensen

Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Dr. Jamie Sherman

Research Area: 
Genetic dissection of malt quality in Barley

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/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. 

Pragya Kiju

M.S. Entomology
Advisor: Dr. Michael Ivie

Research Area:
Pea leaf weevil (PLW) management in Montana.  

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

M.S. Plant Science
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Lachowiec

Research Area: 

 

John Paul Kole

M.S. Entomology
Advisor: Dr. Michael Ivie

Research Area: 

Aishwarya Kothari

Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Lachowiec

Research Area: 
Studying the effects of heat stress in wheat using functional genomics.

Zachary Kuzniar

Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Dr. Ryan Thum

Research Area: 
Evolutionary ecology of aquatic plants

Xiao Lai

Ph.D. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Qing Yan

Research Area: Biological control of plant diseases.

Jared Lile

Ph.D. Plant Sciences
Advisors: Dr. Jennifer Lachowiec and Dr. Jason Cook

Research Area: 

 

Paul Lorenzo

M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Phil Bruckner and Dr. 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.

Alex McMenamin

Ph.D. Microbiology
Advisor: Dr. Michelle Flenniken

Research Area: Virology and immunology of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera).

 

Kyla McNamara

M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Alan Dyer and Dr. Darrin Boss

Research Area: Agronimics and adaptability of quinoa in dryland Montana.

Jack Meyer

Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Oscar Perez-Hernandez

Research Area: 

 

Carmen Murphy

Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Mary Burrows

Research Area: Root rot mitigation of pulse crops. 

Dhirendra Niroula

Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Qing Yan

Research Area: Biocontrol of fireblight pathogen E. amylovora

Everet Karl Owen

M.S. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisors: Dr. Mary Burrows and Dr. Uta McKelvy

Research Area: Develop disease prediciton models for important diseases of wheat.

Amrit Poudel

M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Kevin McPhee

Research Area: Environmental Effects on Winter Pea Survival

Jordan Rainey

M.S. Entomology
Advisor: Dr. Michael Ivie

Research Area: Describing and classifying new species of Staphylinid rove beetles from the West Indies.

Gillian Reynolds

Ph.D. Interdisciplinary, Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisors: Dr.Jennifer Lachowiec and         Dr. Veronika Strnadova-Neeley

Research Area: Agricultural bioinformatics

Hailie Richardson

M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Macdonald Burgess

Research Area: The storage of carrots and how temperature and humidity levels affect longevity and nutrient levels.

 

Erika Rodbell

Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Kevin Wanner

Research Area:

Brian Ross

Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Michelle Flenniken

Research Area:

Victoria Sheild

M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Macdonald Burgess

Research Area: Post-harvest storage methods for winter squash. Looking at how time, temperature, and humidity contribute to the taste, texture, and nutritional value of winter squash and how that may affect local market value. 

Brian Smith

M.S. Plant Science
Advisor: Dr. Chaofu Lu

Research Area:

 

Brandon Tillett

Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Genetics
Advisor: Dr. Michael Giroux

Research Area: Genetics and breeding of durum, winter and spring wheat

 

Josey Ugrin

M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Michael Giroux

Research Area: Genetics and breeding of durum, winter and spring wheat

 

Charles Watt

Ph.D. Plant Sciences - Plant Pathology
Advisor: Dr. Macdonald Burgess

Research Area:

Jessica Williams

Ph.D Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Jamie Sherman

Research Area: 
Genetics and physiology of root systems in malt barley and spring wheat.

Sophie Winitsky

Ph.D. Plant Science
Advisor: Dr. Matt Lavin

Research Area: Evolution, biogeography and taxonomy of the legume genus Marina 

Lucas Wright

M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Bill Dyer

Research Area:
Volatile organic compound emissions, stress signaling pathways,and genetic differences between herbicide sensitive and resistant varieties.

Yi Zhou

M.S. Plant Sciences
Advisor: Dr. Kevin McPhee and Dr. Chengi Chen

Research Area:  Effects of Pythium and CruiserMaxx on chickpea plant growth.