Current and Recent Students

ACOSTA, Kenneth
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Pathology
Advisor: Eric Lam
acosta@sebs.rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 216
Research Interests: Host-microbiota interactions, duckweed biology, bioinformatics

ALLEN, Kirsten
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Natural Products and Human Health
Advisor: James Simon
kaa184@rutgers.edu
Research Interest: My research focuses on using genetic engineering and microbial elicitation-based approaches to increase essential oil and secondary metabolite production in catnip (Nepeta cataria L.).

BRINDISI, Lara
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Breeding and Genomics
Advisor: James Simon
lara.brindisi@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 392
Research Interests: Gene editing, traditional breeding, phytochemistry and sustainable agriculture.

CAI SHI, Denia
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Advisor: Rong Di
dc968@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Research Interests: Traditional medicine, Medicinal plants, Herbal medicine, And Natural compounds with potential human health benefits.

CHANG, Xiaqian 'Ivy'
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Pathology
Advisor: James White
ivy.chang@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 204
Tentative Thesis Title: Application of bacteria from wild grass to promote plant growth and nutrition

CHAPMAN, Cathryn
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Horticulture & Plant Technology
Advisor: Bingru Huang
cathryn.chapman@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 301
Tentative Thesis Title: Mechanisms regulating drought survival and post-drought recovery in cool-season turfgrass species.
Research Interests: Cathryn Chapman is interested in identifying effective organic molecules or metabolites that can promote drought survival and post-drought recovery in cool-season turfgrass species. She focuses on understanding the mechanisms controlling the regrowth and recuperative potential of cool-season turfgrass plants following drought stress with an emphasis on the meristematic tissues within crowns, stolons, or rhizomes.

CHAUDHRY, Amina
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Molecular and Cellular Biology
Advisor: Andrea Gallavotti
amina.chaudhry@rutgers.edu
Waksman Institute
Research Interest: Studying the cis-regulatory elements in maize genome.

CHEONG, Kuan Yu
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Molecular & Cellular Biology
Advisor: Paul Falkowski
kc702@rutgers.edu
Marine Science Building
Research Interest: My research interests center around exploring the potential of algal photosynthesis for a more sustainable world. I am rigorously examining a molecular mechanism in plastid that modulates the lipid production and photosynthesis of algae with multidisciplinary tools such including biophysics of photosynthesis, microbial physiology, lipid biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology.

CHIARANUNT, Peerapol
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Pathology
Advisor: James White
pc702@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall
Research Interest: I am interested in the effects of elevated carbon dioxide on plant-microbe signaling. How does elevated CO₂ affect how microbes engage in pathology and endophytism in seedlings?

CHO, Eunjin 'Erica'
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Natural Products and Human Health
Advisor: Ilya Raskin
Foran Hall - 228

DIEHL, Katherine
Degree Sought: Master of Science
Advisor: Matthew Elmore
khd39@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 287

ENGEL, Peninah
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Horticulture & Plant Technology
Advisor: Ning Zhang
Peninah.feldman@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 178
Tentative Thesis Title: Sustainable production of improved hazelnut in New Jersey

ERRICKSON, William
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Horticulture & Plant Technology
Wje10@sebs.rutgers.edu

FARDELLA, Patrick
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Pathology
Advisor: Faith Belanger
Paf107@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 337
Research Interests: Fungal endophytes, endophyte/pathogen interactions.
Tentative Thesis Title: Efe-AfpA: Production, Purification, and Characterization of Function

VELAZQUEZ, Fernando
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Biology
Advisor: James White
fernando.velazquez@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall
Research Interest: Studying the endophytic populations of plants within the Lamiaceae family. Concentrating on identification and isolation.

FROEHLICH, Olivia ND
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Natural Products and Human Health
Advisor: Joan Bennett
orf3@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Foran Hall
Research Interest: I'm interested in how fungi can affect human health. My current research revolves around how molds, and what they produce, can make humans sick. I am also very interested in medicinal mushrooms.

GALLI, Mary
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Molecular Biology
Advisor: Juan Dong
marygalli@waksman.rutgers.edu
Waksman Institute
Research Interests: My research focuses on mapping non-coding regulatory regions and transcription factor binging sites in various plant species. I am particularly interested in understanding how natural and induced variation in regulatory regions contribute to transcriptional output, cell-type specificity, and phenotypic outcomes.

GENOVA, Kyle
Degree Sought: Master of Science
Track: Horticulture & Plant Technology
Advisor: James Murphy, Bruce Clarke
kyle.genova@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 287

GOMES, Erik N.
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Natural Products & Human Health
Advisor: James Simon
erik.gomes@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall
Research Interest: Ecophysiology of medicinal, aromatic and spice plants. Interactions between cultivation practices/crop management and plant secondary metabolism. New uses of plant natural products. Propagation of non-timber forest tree species. Agricultural education and extension.

GREGORY, Jason
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Molecular & Cellular Biology
Advisor: Andrea Gallavotti
Waksman Institute
jason.gregory@rutgers.edu
Research Interests: I am interested in understanding the maintenance and regulation of meristems as a means to manipulate the yield potential of crop plants. My research focuses on understanding the regulation of inflorescence meristem size by the TOPLESS family of transcriptional co-repressors in Zea mays.

GROBEN, Glen
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Pathology
Advisor: Ning Zhang, Bruce Clarke
glen.groben@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 373
Tentative Thesis Title: Microbiome Analysis of turfgrasses under abiotic and biotic stresses

HLUBIK, David
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Breeding and Genomics
Advisor: Thomas Molnar
djh222@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 178
Research Interests: My research focuses on understanding phenology and chilling requirements in hazelnut in order to select hybrid pollinizer varieties for the Mid-Atlantic region. This will be accomplished through field phenotyping, molecular techniques, and modeling of plant dormancy.

HOMA, Kathryn
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Pathology
Advisor: James Simon
homa@njaes.rutgers.edu
IR-4 Project Headquarters
Tentative Thesis Title: Breeding Ocimum basilicum for resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.basilicum.

KIM, Yurah
Degree Sought: Master of Science
Track: Natural Products and Human Health
Advisor: Nicholi Vorsa
yurahk@scarletmail.rutgers.edu

LAMANNA, Lisa
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Molecular & Cellular Biology
Advisor: Pal Maliga
lisa.lamanna@rutgers.edu
Waksman Institute, Room-2008, BUSCH Campus
Research Interests: Plant Biotechnology
Tentative Thesis Title: Developing an Efficient System for Chloroplast Transformation in Arabidopsis thaliana

LEADBETTER, Clayton
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Horticulture & Plant Technology
Advisor: Thomas Molnar
leadbetter@sebs.rutgers.edu
Rutgers Gardens, PH: 732-932-8451
(Lab) Foran Hall - 239
Tentative Thesis Title: Disease resistance studies of hazelnuts populations from wild collections in Europe

LEWUS, David
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Horticulture and Plant Technology
Advisor: A.J. Both
david.lewus@rutgers.edu
Environmental & Natural Resource Sciences Bldg - 208
Research Interests: Controlled environment agriculture, horticultural engineering, environmental modeling
Tentative Thesis Title: Using computational fluid dynamics to improve high tunnel ventilation

LI, Dongmeng
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Molecular and Cellular Biology/Genomics
Advisor: Juan Dong
dongmeng.li@rutgers.edu
Waksman Institute - Room 1011B
Research Interests: stomata development, intracellular trafficking and dynamics
Tentative Thesis Title: Functional characterization of the BIP2 family, a novel regulator in Arabidopsis stomatal development.

LOMBARDONI, Justin
Degree Sought: Ph.D
Track: Plant Breeding & Genomics
Advisor: Thomas Molnar
jjl290@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 178
Tentative Thesis Title: Enhancing Disease Resistance and Yield Traits of European Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) Through Modern Genomic Technologies

LUBNA, Farzana Afrose
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Horticulture and Plant Technology
Advisor: A. J. Both
farzana.lubna@rutgers.edu
Environmental & Natural Resource Sciences Bldg - 201
Research Interest: My research focuses on supplemental lighting technology required for controlled environment crop production. Determining the cost and environmental impact of supplemental lighting systems is important for assessing their economics and sustainability. Detailed life cycle assessments (LCAs) will be conducted to measure their environmental impact, including greenhouse gas emissions resulting from fabrication, use and ultimate disposal.
Tentative Thesis Title: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Supplemental Lighting Systems Used for Controlled Environment Crop Production.

MACIAS, Julio
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology
Advisor: Andrea Gallavotti
jcm368@rutgers.edu
Waksman Institute
Research Interest: I am studying meristem development and transcription factors in maize. By studying the meristem development pathways, we are able to gain a better understanding to produce higher yield in crops.

MACPHERSON, Eric
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Breeding
Advisor: Stacy Bonos
Ewm41@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Foran Hall
Research Interest: Interested in improving turfgrass to abiotic stresses. Currently working on shade tolerance improvements in bentgrass.

MARTINEZ, Andrea
Degree Sought: Master of Science
Track: Plant Pathology
Advisor: Joan Bennett
alm314@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Foran Hall
Research Interest: Interested in discovering how naturally occurring interactions in an ecosystem can be optimized to reduce plant disease while maintaining the health of humans, animals and the environment. Currently studying the ecological effects of VOCs produced by the trichoderma fungus in Dr. Bennett’s lab.

MATTERA III, Robert
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Breeding & Genomics
Advisor: James Simon
robertmattera343@gmail.com
Foran Hall - 362
Tentative Thesis Title: Breeding Sweet and Thai Basils for Basil Downy Mildew Resistance
Research Interests: Robert is fascinated by the idea of plant and crop improvement for aesthetic, agronomic and medicinal uses. He uses modern molecular tools alongside traditional plant breeding to make breeding quicker and more efficient. Identifying putative genes and molecular markers associated with traits of interest is a central focus of his dissertation. Essential oils and the chemistry of secondary metabolites also interests him. Robert is also interested in fermentation and is working on a business to create and sell craft liquors and liqueurs infused with botanicals.

MAYBERRY, Alex
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Breeding & Genomics
Advisor: Thomas Molnar
alex.mayberry@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 178
Tentative Thesis Title: Genetics and phenotypic characterization of American hazelnut (Corylus americana) for improved disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance of commercial hazelnuts.

MCBRIDE, Sean
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Horticulture and Plant Technology
Advisor: Bingru Huang
spm196@sebs.rutgers.edu
Foran Hall
Research Interest: Focus on promoting heat and drought stress tolerance in annual bluegrass (Poa annua) to improve management practices in the summer. This includes testing the effects of plant health products during stressful periods and studying the physiological mechanisms that govern low summer stress tolerance in Poa.

MCNALLY, Brandon
Degree Sought: Master of Science
Track: Horticulture & Plant Technology
Advisor: Matthew Elmore
brandon.mcnally@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - Room 278
Research Interest: My research focuses on turfgrass weed science, turfgrass management, and developing best management practices to reduce problematic weeds in turfgrass systems utilizing non-chemical control strategies. My thesis work has primarily been focused on investigating irrigation practices and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) management strategies for annual bluegrass control in cool-season turfgrasses.

MERCHANT, Emily V.
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Horticulture & Plant Technology
Advisor: James Simon
evr.merchant@rutgers.edu
IFNH
Tentative Thesis Title: Nutrient Stability of African Indigenous Vegetables Research Interests: My work focuses on designing sustainable and resilient food communities. This thesis expands on that by analyzing nutrient stability of African Indigenous Vegetables such as but not limited to, amaranth, African nightshade, moringa, roselle, cowpea, and spider plant at points along the value chain. Nutritional composition will be assessed in various cultivars and postharvest handling methods in addition to behavior change modification that are designed around place and culture to ensure increased consumption of plant micronutrients.

MICCI, April
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Pathology
Advisor: James White
april.micci@rutgers.edu
Tentative Thesis Title: Do bacteria influence accumulation of lupulin oil glands in Hops floral trichomes?

MILAN, Emil
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
emilan09@rutgers.edu

MOLINSKI, Anna
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Natural Products and Human Health
Advisor: James Simon
annamol@njaes.rutgers.edu
Foran Hall
Research Interest: Packaging design solutions using nontoxic, plant-based materials. Special interest in food safety and product life cycle analysis.

NDENGU, Andoyo
Degree Sought: Master of Science
andoyo.ndengu@rutgers.edu

PATEL, Harna
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Natural Products & Human Health
Advisor: James Simon
hkp38@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 391C

PFARR, Erin
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Breeding and Genomics
Advisor: Thomas Molnar
erin.pfarr@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 178
Research Interests: My thesis research revolves around big-bracted dogwood (Cornus spp.) breeding and genetics. I am investigating the diversity of the cultivated germplasm and finding QTL associated with powdery mildew disease resistance. I am also investigating powdery mildew susceptibility MLO genes in our native flowering dogwood using molecular and gene editing techniques.
Broadly I am interested in breeding ornamental plants and vegetables for disease and insect resistance, drought tolerance, high ornamental value/yield, cold tolerance, and non-invasiveness. I would like to adapt exciting technologies that have been developed for agricultural crops, like CRISPR, molecular-assisted selection, genomic selection, and high-throughput phenotyping, to orphan horticultural crops. After graduate school I would like to work as a plant breeder in industry.

RABINOWITZ, Oren
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Natural Products and Human Health
Advisor: Ilya Raskin
oren.rabinowitz@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 288A
Research Interests: Oren Rabinowitz studies the chemistry of natural products, and his research focuses on discovering and developing novel applications for naturally-occurring compounds from plants. He is also interested in bio-inspired materials, chemical ecology, and biodiversity, as well as science communication and teaching.

ROSEN, Tori
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Breeding and Genetics
Advisor: James Simon
tori.rosen@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall -

ROSSI, Stephanie
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Horticulture & Plant Technology
Advisor: Bingru Huang
srossi@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 301A
Research Interests: Metabolic regulation of leaf senescence in cool-season turfgrasses, development of thermotolerant bentgrasses, chlorophyll biosynthesis and degradation.
Tentative Thesis Title: Metabolic regulation of heat-induced leaf senescence in creeping bentgrass

SKUBEL, Sarah
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Natural Products and Human Health
Advisor: Ilya Raskin
Foran Hall - 226
Research Interests: Sarah's research is on identifying synergistic compounds among antimicrobial plants. Her focus is primarily on medically relevant herbal species, testing their effectiveness independently, and in combination, on a range of bacteria and fungi including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans.

SORRELS, Shawn
Degree Sought: Ph.D in Pathology/Natural Products
Advisor: Eric Lam
shawn.sorrels@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 216
Research Interests: Domestication of duckweed for commercial applications, duckweed metabolomics, microbiome / synthetic bacterial communities.

STENN, Kurt (Buzz)
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Pathology
Advisor: Eric Lam
kstenn@comcast.net
Foran Hall
Research Interest: Define the cross talk between plants and their surrounding microbiome

VASILATIS, Ariane
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Natural Products & Human Health
Advisor: James Simon
a.vasilatis@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 278
Tentative Thesis Title: Bio-availability, phytochemistry, Natural Product development and Human health.

WANG, Lu
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Molecular & Cellular Biology
Advisor: Juan Dong
lw505@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Waksman Building, BUSCH Campus
Tentative Thesis Title: Regulators from cellular, nuclear to chromosomal, in establishing cell polarity for stomatal asymmetric cell division

WASACZ, Maggie
Degree Sought: Master of Science
Track: Horticulture and Plant Technology
Advisor: Thierry Besançon
mhw55@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 273
Research Interest: Weed science, dicamba drift injury on vegetable crops.

WOLFF, Khea
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Natural Products & Human Health
Advisor: Ilya Raskin
khea.wolff@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 128B

WYSOCKI, Konrad
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Breeding and Genomics
Advisor: Nicholi Vorsa
konrad.wysocki@rutgers.edu

XU, Zhongqi
Degree Sought: Master
Track: Horticulture and Plant Technology
Advisor: James Murphy, Bruce Clarke
zx84@sebs.rutgers.edu
Foran Hall
Research Interest: Impact of management practice on turf disease. Focus on dollar spot and anthracnose on annual bluegrass and bent grass putting green.

ZHANG, Pingyuan (Bay)
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Horticulture & Plant Technology
Advisor: Bruce Clarke, James Murphy
pz113@sebs.rutgers.edu
Foran Hall
Research Interest: I have a broad interest within turfgrass science, especially on turfgrass management and integrated disease controlling program. The main target of my study is to provide reliable and feasible guidance to turf managers to conduct more effective and environmentally friendly disease management.

ZHANG, Qiuwei (Celeste)
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Track: Plant Pathology
Advisor: James White
qz93@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall
Research Interest: Desert plants, endophytes, plant growth promoting bacteria, plant microbiome

ZORDE, Martin
Degree Sought: Ph.D.
Advisor: James Simon
martin.zorde@rutgers.edu
Foran Hall - 301