Graduate Students

X: @a_moralesona
Ana Morales-Ona is a PhD candidate in the Department of Agronomy at Purdue University (@PurdueAgronomy). Her research focuses on precision nitrogen management. Her project aims to provide information for understanding the dynamics of the interaction between nitrogen, corn, soil, and weather across space and time in Indiana fields.

X: @LazoAriana
Ariana Lazo is a PhD student at Purdue University and the 2024 Chair of the ACS Graduate Student Committee. Her research focuses on the fate and transport Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in agricultural systems and alternative land management strategies for PFAS-contaminated land. 

X: @ayushsharma9770 
Ayush K Sharma is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences at the University of Florida. His research focuses on optimizing nutrient management for potatoes, utilizing computer vision to address production challenges in the potato industry. Additionally, he is actively engaged in creating advanced plant phenotyping tools for in-season monitoring of plant nutrient levels through hyperspectral imaging and LiDAR technology. In conjunction with these endeavors, he has contributed to collaborative projects spanning agronomy, horticulture, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, and Computer and Electronics Departments at the University of Florida. These projects have extensively leveraged unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for data collection, enabling the extraction of valuable insights into plant physiology and the development of precise agricultural methodologies. Furthermore, he has participated in various outreach initiatives on campus, notably within the UF-UAV club, where he has contributed to developing and applying open-source, low-cost UAV technologies.

Chandler is a PhD candidate at the University of Georgia, where he studies soil health parameters as affected by cover crops with a primary focus on perennial cover crops.   

X: @danie9622
Daniela Orjuela-Diaz is a Ph.D. student in the University of Wisconsin–Madison soil science department (@DepartmentSoil). Her research project focuses on identifying biological or chemical soil tests that can help predict nitrogen needs in corn, decreasing potential nitrate leaching contamination, and increasing farmers' profits. 

X: @agrideepak093
Deepak Ghimire is a PhD candidate at @unlagrohort. His research project focuses on N management (optimizing N rates, using different N sources and using crop sensors) to increase crop yield and improve water quality in a semi-arid environment.

X: @hallie_strwbrry
Hallie is a PhD candidate at the University of Georgia where she studies the genetic and genomics of finger millet, a highly-nutritious and climate-resilient cereal crop.  She aims to identify host and pathogen genetic factors associated with resistance to blast disease, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae. 

X: @mejayxoxo18
Jaya Nepal--currently a postdoc at Cornell University (recent graduate from University of Florida)--aims to build upon the current understanding of no-till organic crop production systems in NE US—delving into cover cropping strategies and integrating agroecological principles—with a primary focus on leveraging soil processes to optimize ecological resilience, crop productivity, and soil health. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j%C3%A9ssica-bezerra-de-oliveira-89101069/
Originally from the Midwest of Brazil, Jessica is a Ph.D. student in the Agronomy and Soil Science program at Kansas State University in the Soil Microbial Agroecology Lab. Jessica received her B.S. degree in Agronomy from the Federal University of Mato Grosso and her M.S. degree in Agronomy/Plant Nutrition from the University of Sao Paulo and the University of Queensland, in Australia. Her master’s thesis focused on studying soybean to evaluate biological nitrogen fixation under different Nickel sources, working with different techniques, such as XRF (X-ray fluorescence) and Synchrotron. Currently, her research focuses on Nitrous Oxide emissions (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas, and Nitrogen Use Efficiency using tracers in a wheat rainfed cropping system.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-barra-netto-ferreira-3a0565135/
X: @Juliabnf
Julia is a PhD candidate at the University of Florida. She is originally from Brazil, where she completed her BSc in Agronomy and MSc in Soil Science at the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro. Her current research evaluates chickpea's potential to serve as a dual-purpose crop and if/how this management will affect the sustainability of the rotation system.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-mackenzie-56195b229/
Katherine Is currently a Master’s student at Texas A&M University - Commerce.  She completed her Associates at Panola College and her Bachelors at Sam Houston State University while competing on their rodeo teams. Her current research is looking at the relationship of soil aggregate stability and tillage. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lovepreet-singh-535498138
X: @Lovepreet2363
Lovepreet is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at University of Minnesota. Lovepreet received his B.S. in Agriculture from Punjab Agricultural University. He then earned his M.S. in plant and soil sciences with a minor in statistics from Mississippi State University where he worked on turfgrass breeding. Lovepreet’s research interests, broadly, are quantitative genetics and genomics-assisted breeding. Currently he is part of the SOYGEN (Science Optimized Yield Gains across ENvironments) project. The major goal of this project is to predict cultivar performance in future target environments through genomics-assisted breeding models, phenomics, and environment characterization. 

X: @meg_bourns 
Megan is originally from Manitoba, Canada, where she earned her BSc in Agronomy and MSc in Soil Science. Megan is a Certified Crop Advisor. Prior to pursuing her PhD at K-State she worked closely with farmers as an agronomist for the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers on-farm research program. Her current research is focused on improving the sustainability of phosphorus fertilizer management for corn and soybean production in Kansas. 

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/pabitra-joshi-9b5753136 
X: @PabitraJoshi79
Pabitra Joshi is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Idaho. Originally from Nepal, she completed her undergraduate studies there before starting her PhD at the University of Idaho. She developed a strong interest in breeding during her undergraduate years, which she continued to pursue in the USA. Pabitra's research is centered on the comparative mapping of common bunt and dwarf bunt QTL for resistance in wheat, crucial diseases posing significant threats to organic wheat cultivation. Her work holds promise in equipping breeders with invaluable insights to develop resistant cultivars, thereby mitigating the impact of these destructive diseases. Outside of her academic work, Pabitra enjoys cooking and dancing in her free time.

Tina Sullivan is a PhD candidate in Plant Science at Utah State University. Her research focuses on drought defense options for the Intermountain West, including soil wetting agents, soil biologicals, alternative crops, and irrigation sprinkler technologies. Additionally, she is a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) for Tennessee and Northwestern Region.