Graduate students are a critical part of the research initiatives within the Cooperative. These students also go on to serve as future leaders in the tree improvement community whether it be in the forest industry, public sector, or academia.
Current and recent graduate student research titles:
Makenzie Bowman, MS- Makenzie is focusing on phenology models and other seed orchard efficiency research.
Pinar Guner, Ph.D. – Pinar is currently researching the development and applications of genomic markers in tree breeding.
Austin Heine, Ph.D. – "Expanding our Knowledge about Loblolly Pine Pollen to Increase Filled Seed per Cone from Controlled Pollinations"
Molly Irvin, Ph.D. – “Population genomics of race non-specific disease resistance in the endemic Pinus taeda-Cronartium quercuum f.sp. fusiforme pathosystem"
Yu-Ming Lin, PhD Candidate – “Correspondence between genomic relationships from a low-density targeted genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and high-density SNP marker panels in loblolly pine”.
Kim McKeever, Ph.D.- Kim’s background in genetics and bioinformatics made her perfect for the NSF/NIFA research in fusiform rust disease.
Mariano Tracta, MS - Mariano is currently working on developing a data processing method to estimate drill resistance value for selecting for wood density.