Paul Esker
|
Professor of Epidemiology and Extension Specialist in Field and Forage Crops, Crop Pathology Co-Chair, International Agriculture and Development Dual Degree Graduate Program Faculty Member, Biogeochemistry
he/him Research Interests: Plant disease epidemiology and integrated disease management, applications of statistical methods for the agricultural sciences, global issues in food security Bio: Paul received his M.Sc in Plant Pathology at Iowa State University. His Ph.D was in Plant Pathology and Statistics, also from Iowa State. He enjoys various sports, coffee, and spending time with his family. |
|
Dilooshi Weerasooriya
Postdoctoral Scholar/Lab Operations Manager
she/her Research interests: Plant Breeding, Genetics and Trait Discovery, Statistical Genomics, Plant Disease Epidemiology, Fusarium Biocontrol Bio: Dilooshi is originally from Sri Lanka. She received her Ph.D in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Kansas State University with double minors in Applied Statistics and Genomics. She enjoys spending time in nature and baking sweet treats. Projects: Fusarium Management |
|
Santosh Sanjel
Postdoctoral Scholar
he/him Research interests: Agronomic data science, epidemiological modeling, causal inference, precision agriculture, applied computer vision and machine learning in agriculture Bio: Santosh Sanjel holds a MS and a Ph.D in Plant Pathology from the University of Florida. During his graduate studies, he specialized in epidemiological modeling of field crop diseases. In his free time, Santosh enjoys running, biking around campus, kayaking, frisbee, and learning R programming tricks. Projects: Application of Causal Modeling to Identify Best Management Practices in Soybean Cultivation, Data-Driven Approaches for Optimizing Soybean Production, Application of Computer Vision for Biodiversity Monitoring in Agricultural Systems |
|
Miranda DePriest
Computational Scientist
she/her Research interests: Big data, precision agriculture, soil microbiomes Bio: Miranda got her B.S. in Biology from Colorado Mesa University and her M.S. in Ecology, where she researched the soil microbiome. She enjoys rock climbing and science fiction. Projects: Data Driven |
|
Tyler McFeaters
Research Technologist 2
he/him Research interests: Field crop disease management, White mold in soybean (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum), agricultural remote sensing Bio: Tyler is from Fredericksburg, PA. He obtained his B.S. in Biology at Messiah University and his M.S. in Plant Pathology and International Agriculture and Development at Penn State. He enjoys running, mountain biking, and the Philadelphia Phillies. Projects: Data Driven |
|
Evan BucknerPhD Candidate
he/him Research interests: Soilborne diseases of industrial hemp, Bud Rot (Botrytis cinerea) of CBD hemp, biocontrol, preplant disease risk assessment Bio: Evan is from Pine Bluff, Arkansas and graduated with his B.S. in Crop Sciences and minor in Pest Management from the University of Arkansas in 2021. He enjoys baking and playing viola in area symphonic orchestras. Publications:
|
|
Olanrewaju "Lanre" ShittuPh.D. Candidate
he/him Research interests: Fusarium Head Blight (FHB, causal agent Fusarium graminearum) disease in small grains, agricultural innovation, international agriculture Bio: Lanre is currently a dual-title Ph.D candidate in Plant Pathology and in International Agriculture and Development. He earned his B.S. in Botany and his M.S. in Plant Pathology at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He then went on to obtain a second M.S. in Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Exter, England. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, exercising, and running track. |
|
Savannah WolfeM.S. Student
they/them Research interests: Nematology, lesion nematodes, Pratylenchus spp., soil microbiome interactions, metagenomics Bio: Savannah is from Richardson, TX. They previously received an A.S. in Biology at Richland College in TX and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Central Florida. Before they joined the Esker Lab as a student, they were a a Research Assistant in the lab. Savannah's hobbies include creative writing, reading, creating digital art, and astrobiology. |
|
Carson Karras
Information about Carson coming soon!
Macy Grove
Information about Macy coming soon!
Ethan Keitel
Information about Ethan coming soon!
Kathryn Carruba
Information about Kathryn coming soon!
Esker Lab Alumni
Karen Luong
|
Former PhD Candidate, current Assistant Professor of Biology at Grove City College
she/her Dissertation: Combating the enemy: Understanding the population genetics of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and efficacy and feasability of current management strategies of white mold of soybeans in Pennsylvania. |
|
Mariah Kidd
|
Former M.S. Student
she/her |
|
Michelle Paukett
Former Ph.D. Candidate
she/her
Dissertation:
Agricultural Sustainability in the Local Context
she/her
Dissertation:
Agricultural Sustainability in the Local Context
|
Postdoctoral Scholars
Ananda Bandara Mladen Cucak Felipe Dalla Lana Graduate Students Ryan Spelman Maíra Duffeck Patrick Becker Researchers Brandon Wilt Visiting Students Shannon McAmis Mario Umaña Usman Ali Diana Wairimu |
Laboratory Research Assistants and Undergraduate Researchers
Colin Wiest Cameron Cedeno Ryan Dunkelberger Christopher Wambach Anna Bohsali Juan Nieto Maura Seiss Connor Campana Isabel Mowrey Jeremy Maggio Jada Spady Amanda Grube Elli Tatsumi Leticia Rovelo Christopher Miller |
