Home > PLPA Graduate Students

Plant Pathology Graduate Students

Avanzato, Maria Valeria
Avanzato, Maria Valeria
(PTSC - Ph.D. - Rupe)
479-575-3178
mavanzat@uark.edu





Castroagudin, Vanina Lillian
Castroagudin, Vanina Lillian
(PLPA - Ph.D. - Correll)
479-575-7072
vcastroa@uark.edu

Vanina is from Argentina and received her B.S. degree in Biotechnology with a major in Molecular Genetics from Quilmes National University (Argentina). She started her Ph.D. studies in August, 2007 at the University of Arkansas and her research project is focusing on Molecular Detection and Characterization of Rhizoctonia solani in rice fields in Arkansas and QTL Mapping for Sheath Blight Resistance in rice.

Cochran (Brown), Kimberly A.

Cochran (Brown), Kimberly A.
(PLPA - M.S. - Rothrock)
479-575-7072
kab11@uark.edu

Kimberly is from Springdale, AR and completed her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Interdisciplinary studies at the University of Central Arkansas. She is interested in biocontrol and sustainable agricultural practices on a variety of scales of production.She is particularly interested in biofumigation practices. Her research involves these topics and soilborne pathogens on a variety of crops, including R. solani, T. basicola, Pythium spp., and M. incognita.

  Cordero-Lopez, Marco Antonio
(PTSC - Ph.D. - Robbins)
479-575-3991
mcordero@uark.edu

Marco is from Venezuela. He received his bachelor's degree in agronomic engineering in 1986 and his Master's degree in Agronomy in 1996.  He earned both degrees from The University of Tachira, San Cristobal, Venezuela.  His doctoral research project will focus on taxonomy and molecular characterization of nematodes belonging to the family Criconematidae. 



  Cox, Mandy M.
(CEMB - Ph.D. - Rothrock)
479-575-7072
mmcox@uark.edu

Mandy is from Van Buren, Arkansas.  She graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2002 with her bachelor's degree in food science.  This fall semester she will be working in the Department of Plant Pathology with Dr. Craig Rothrock. 
 Dai, Yuntao

Dai, Yuntao
(PLPA - M.S. - Jia/Correll)
479-575-7072
yxd002@uark.edu

Yuntao works with Dr. Yulin Jia at the National Rice Research Center in Stuttgart, AR. He is working on the molecular evolution of rice blast fungus avirulence gene AVR-Pita.

Michael Q. Ditmore II

Ditmore II, Q. Michael
(CEMB - Ph.D. - TeBeest)
479-575-2679
mditmore@uark.edu

Our lab is involved in the elucidation of host-pathogen molecular pathways. Currently we have projects focusing on strain-strain interactions and manipulation of the host defense response during infection and colonization of fungal pathogens. Specifically, we are concerned with False Smut of rice, Anthracnose of grain sorghum, and the continuted evaluation of the first commercially available biological control agent, Collego, developed out of this laboratory.


 

Doubledee, Micah
(PTSC - M.S. - Rothrock)
479-575-7072
mdoubled@uark.edu

Micah is from Oronogo, Missouri.  She graduated from Missouri Southern State University on May 17, 2008.  She started her research on May 19, 2008 focusing on effects of Macrophomina phaseolina on four different soybean cultivars while under stressed and non-stressed conditions.

 

 

 

Greer, Amanda Michelle
(AFLS - M.S. - Kirkpatrick)
870-460-1091
greer@uamont.edu

Amanda works full time as a plant pathology program technician at SEREC at Monticello, AR. Her area of interest is cotton nematology. She is currently researching Telone effects on cotton growth and nitrogen fertilization.

 

 Holz, Daniel G.
(CEMB - M.S. - Korth)
479-575-5378
dholtz@uark.edu

Daniel's research regards molecular and physiological factors behind the biomineralization of calcium oxalate in soybean and Medicago truncatula.  More specifically it involves environmental factors and identification of genes that may be responsible for calcium oxalate formation and accumulation.

Peter Horevaj

Horevaj, Peter
(PTSC - Ph. D. - Milus)
479-575-8798
phoreva@uark.edu

Peter is from Slovakia where he received his graduate degree in 2004 at the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. His research project is the study of the resistance mechanisms of winter wheat against Fusarium head blight caused by Fusarium graminearum.





Jaraba-Navas, Juan de Dios

Jaraba-Navas, Juan de Dios
(PTSC - Ph.D. - Rothrock)
479-575-7072
jaraba@uark.edu

Juan is from Monteria, Cordoba, Colombia. He received his Bachelor's degree in Agronomy at the University of Cordoba, Colombia in 1995 and his Master's degree as a Plant Pathologist at Colegio de Postgraduados, Montecillo, Mexico. He is currently working with the interaction between Meloidogyne incognita and Thielaviopsis basicola on cotton.



  Kale, Sahaja
(CEMB - M.S. - Tzanetakis)
479-575-7072
skale@uark.edu 

Sahaja is from Hyderabad which is located in South India.  Extensive research opportunities, the variety of departments and available funding brought Sahaja to the University of Arkansas.  Kale has a bachelor's degree in biotechnology and is currently working on her master's degree in cellular and molecular biology.  Currently, she is researching blackberry viruses under the direction of Dr. Tzanetakis.
  Laney, Alma Glenn
(PLPA - M.S. - Tzanetakis)
479-575-7072
alaney@uark.edu

Alma is from Coos Bay, Oregon.  He completed his B.S. degree in microbiology at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon.  His current area of research is double-stranded RNA viruses, particularly those that are believed to be the causative agents of the Rose Rosette and Redbud yellow ringspot diseases.




 

Ma, Jianbing
(PTSC - Ph.D. - Kirkpatrick/Rothrock)
479-575-7068
jxm044@uark.edu

Jianbing Ma is from Xinjiang Province, China.  He received his master's degree in botany from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, China Academy of Sciences.  He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. degree in plant pathology under the direction of Dr. Terry Kirkpatrick.  His research will focus on the relationship between root-knot nematode and the cotton root system.



  McFarland, John
(AFLS - M.S. - Kirkpatrick)
870-933-4565
jmcfarland@uaex.edu 

Navia-Gine, Wayra G.

Navia-Gine, Wayra G.
(CEMB - Ph.D. - Korth)
479-575-7081
wnavia@uark.edu

Wayra is from Bolivia where she received a Bachelor degree in Biology. In 2007 she received her Master's degree in Plant Pathology and is now working on her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology. Her research project is the study of the role of calcium oxalate in plant defense in soybeans.

Lacy D. Robison

Nelson, Lacy D.
(PLPA - M.S. - Korth)
479-575-7081
lrobison@uark.edu

Lacy is studying the effects of biotic stresses, such as insects and pathogens, on the terpene biosynthetic pathways in Medicago truncatula. Specifically, she is looking at how genes in the two pathways are regulated in response to different types of pests.

  Newell, Annakay Diana
(PLPA - M.S. - Bluhm/Rupe)
479-575-5635
anewell@uark.edu

Annakay was born and raised in Spanish Town, Jamaica.  She attended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and received her B.S. degree in biology in May 2008.  Annakay will be working in Dr. Bluhm's molecular plant pathology lab.  Her master's research will focus on foliar diseases on soybean caused by Cercospora. 
   Sanders, Sherri
(AFLS - M.S. - Cartwright)
501-268-5394
ssanders@uaex.edu
  Smith, Jonathon E.
(PLPA - M.S. - Bluhm)
479-575-2770
jes002@uark.edu

Jonathon is from Rogers, Arkansas.  He earned his B.S. in biology from Arkansas State University in 2007.  His Master's research focuses on mycotoxic fungi.





 Terry Spurlock Spurlock, Terry N.
(PLPA - M.S. - Milus)
479-575-7068
tspurloc@uark.edu

Terry is from Athens, Texas.  He received a B.S. in Agronomy from Texas A&M University in 1999.  He worked as a golf course superintendent at River Crest Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas and Maumelle Country Club in Maumelle, Arkansas before beginning graduate studies.  His research interests focus on diseases of highly maintained turfgrass areas.  His present research deals with the spatial and temporal occurrence of large patch disease of zoysiagrass and how other fungi may influence zoysiagrass health on golf course fairways in Northwest Arkansas.

Sthapit, Jinita

Sthapit, Jinita
(PLPA - M.S. - Milus)
479-575-7068
jsthapit@uark.edu

Jinita is working on research relating to "Characterization of adult plant stripe rust resistance in soft red winter wheat using old and new races of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici.

Urrea-Romero, Keiddy Esperanza

Urrea-Romero, Keiddy Esperanza
(PLPA - M.S. - Rupe)
479-575-7072
kurrearo@uark.edu

Keiddy is from Colombia, South America.  She received her Bachelor's degree in Agronomy at the National University of Colombia.  She is currently working with Evaluation of Seed Treatments for Control of Soybean Seedling Diseases in Arkansas.

Maria Isabel Villarroel-Zeballos

Villarroel-Zeballos, Maria Isabel
(PTSC - Ph.D. - Correll)
479-575-7072
mvillar@uark.edu

Maria is from Bolivia where she received her B.S. in Agronomy and finished her M.S. in 2007 in Plant Pathology.  She is currently a Ph.D. student working under the advice of Dr. James Correll.  Her research project is concentrated on two different diseases of spinach, Verticillium wilt and Downy mildew.

  Yingling, Jan
(AFLS - M.S. - Cartwright)
501-676-3124
jyingling@uaex.edu

Jan is from Searcy, Arkansas where she graduated from Arkansas State University with a bachelor's degree in agricultural business in May 2006.  She is a program technician for Dr. Rick Cartwright's rice research program in Lonoke, Arkansas, where she is responsible for rating rice disease reactions.  She plans to finish her master's degree this December under the direction of Dr. Cartwright.  Her graduate project focus areas include a United States Rice Field Guide and an online Plant Pathology 4-H unit.
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