Personnel

Faculty 

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Dr. Martin I. Chilvers

PI, Researcher

chilvers@msu.edu
517-353-9967
MSU Faculty Profile

Staff

Janette-287x300

Janette Jacobs

Lab manager

517-353-8913
jacobs90@msu.edu

 

William Widdicombe

 

Micalah Blohm

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Adam Byrne

Field Technician 

517-353-8913
byrnea@msu.edu

Postdocs & Graduate Students

   
Austin+Mccoy

Dr. Austin McCoy

Postdoctoral Research Associate

 mccoyaus@msu.edu

Austin McCoy conducted his PhD on the management and detection of oomycete root rot pathogens, primarily of corn and soy. Austin conducted a a Phytophthora sojae pathotype (race) survey in Michigan and conducted a fungicide sensitivity screening of these pathogens. This information has been instrumental to provide better management recommendations for these pathogens. Dr. McCoy recently published a global meta-analysis of Rps genes to understand which Rps genes still have efficacy and those that don't:   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41321-7

Viviana_Ortiz

Viviana Ortiz

PhD student, Plant Pathology & Ecology, Evolution and Behavior

ortizviv@msu.edu

Using genomic and phenotypic approaches, Viviana is investigating population diversity and adaptation to environmental factors, fungicide use and plant host in the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina. She hopes for this knowledge to be translated into better disease management strategies and more efficient use of resources in agroecosystems.

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Emily Roggenkamp

PhD student, Genetics and Genome Sciences & Molecular Plant Sciences

roggenk4@msu.edu

 

Jill

Jill Check

PhD student, Plant Pathology

checkjil@msu.edu

 

 1590731745956

 

Nik Nik Zainal Alam

MS student, Plant Pathology

nikzaina@msu.edu

 Headshot_rh

Ryan Hamilton

MS student, Plant Pathology

hamil486@msu.edu

 

Peyton Phillips

Peyton Phillips

MS student, Plant Pathology

phil1017@msu.edu 



Past Lab Members

Past Graduate Students 

Tara  

Tara Watkins

  • MS, Plant Pathology (co-supervised with Dr. Frances Trail)
  • Current Position: Extension Agent at University of Kentucky
  • @TaraWatkinsMSU
Mikaela Breunig

Mikaela Breunig, PhD

  • PhD, Plant Pathology
  • Current Position: Wheat pathologist at Bayer Crop Science
  • @MikaelaBreunig
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Zachary Noel, PhD

  • PhD, Plant Pathology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior
  • Current Position: Assistant Professor at Auburn University

 

Mitch_resized 

Mitchell Roth, PhD

  • PhD, Genetics and Plant Pathology
  • Current Position: Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University
  • LinkedIn
  • @ohiomycete

 

 Kjersten

Kjersten Oudman, MS

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Devon Rossman, MS

 

 Megan_Botti-Marino-281x300  

Megan Botti-Marino, MS

Alejandro_Rojas-286x300 

Alejandro Rojas, PhD

  • PhD, Plant Pathology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior
  • Current Position: Assistant Professor at University of Arkansas
  • jarojas@uark.edu
  • Github
JieWang 

Jie Wang, PhD

  • PhD, Plant Pathology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior
  • Current position: Data Scientist at DOE Joint Genome Institute
  • Github

 

Past Postdoctoral Researchers / Visiting Scholars

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Josh MacCready

Postdoctoral researcher, December 2020 - December 2022 

maccrea3@msu.edu

Hao 

Hao-Xun Chang, PhD

  • Postdoctoral Researcher, January 2017 – June 2019
  • Current position: Assistant Professor at Plant Pathology and Informatics Laboratory, National Taiwan University  
  • hxchang@ntu.edu.tw
 kyu

Hyunkyu Sang, PhD

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Mamadou Fall, PhD

  • Postdoctoral Researcher, June 2015 – August 2016
  • Current position: Research Scientist for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
  • mamadoulamine.fall@canada.ca 

Santos_Large

Patricia Santos, PhD

  • Postdoctoral Researcher, March 2013 – December 2014
  • Current position: Assistant Research Professor, University of Nevada Reno
  • pferreiradossantos@unr.edu

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Xiaofeng Zhuang, PhD

  • Postdoctoral Researcher, September 2010 – March 2013
  • Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher, Ohio State University
  • zhuangxf@msu.edu
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Alberto Rojas-Triviño, MSc

  • MSc, Plant Pathology (Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia)
  • Visiting Ph.D. student from Colombia
  • rojastri@msu.edu

 

 Undergraduates

  • Current:
    1. Jacob Kotrba – 2019 to current
    2. Madison Strbich – 2022 summer

  • Former:

    1. Soli Bennett – 2021 to 2022 spring
    2. Kenneth Matthews – 2020 to 2021
    3. Evan Harrison – 2019 to 2020
    4. Jesse Langton – 2020
    5. Matt Kebede – 2020
    6. Gerta Hysa – 2019 to
    7. Kayla Clouse – May 2018 to 2019
    8. Austin Cornett – May 2018 to 2019
    9. Steven Staub – May 2018 to 2019
    10. Kennedy Brown – May 2018 to 2019
    11. Chloe Macdonald – May 2018 to 2019
    12. Amanda Griffin – May 2017 to 2019
    13. Zachary Sundin – Jun-2012 to 2019
    14. Marissa Lubarski – May 2017 to May 2018
    15. Jessica Bunner – May 2015 to May 2018
    16. Shannon Trajkovski – May 2017 to May 2018
    17. Alexandra Sehling – May 2017 to Jan 2018
    18. Tyler Cazier – May 2017 to Jan 2018
    19. Emily Wyma – May 2017 to Sep 2018
    20. Kaylin Poppe – May 2016 to June 2017
    21. John Kaschalk – May 2015 to May 2017
    22. Zak Timmerman – May 2015 to May 2017
    23. Marisa Dallas – May 2016 to Jan 2017
    24. Cole Kelly – May 2016 to August 2016
    25. Alex Witte – May 2015 to May 2016 (UURAF)
    26. Connor Coscarelli – May 2013 to Jan 2016
    27. Jessica Tippie – May 2013 to May 2016 (UURAF)
    28. Katherine Naasko – May 2015 to August 2015
    29. Olivia Stenzel – Apr 2014 to May 2015 (UURAF)
    30. Behirda Karaj – May 2013 to Nov 2014 (Co-author)
    31. Hannah Schrauben – Apr 2014 to August 2014
    32. Leonor Nunes – Jul-2014 to Aug-2014, visiting student from Portugal
    33. Meyessa Mansour – Oct-2011 to May-2014
    34. Kilian LaFreniere – Oct-2011 to August-2014
    35. Anna Stouffer – May 2013 to May 2014 (UURAF)
    36. Nicole Howey – May-2012 to Aug-2012
    37. Aaron Michaud – May-2012 to Aug-2012
    38. Chelsea Woods, volunteer – Jan-2012 to Feb-2012
    39. Daniel Buhlinger – Oct-2011 to July-2012
    40. Jordan Crandall – Nov-2010 to Aug-2011
    41. Joseph Meleca – Sept-2009 to Jan-2011 (Co-author)
    42. Sara Brown – Sept-2009 to Dec-2010
    43. Dilpreet Khaira – Jan-2009 to July-2009