• Hands on experience with:- Production, packaging and handling of stone fruit and grapes- Making breeding selections for peaches, plums, cherries, apricots and grapes• Performed population studies in:- Peaches/nectarines (blush, size, sugar content, maturity date, acidity, ripening, flesh/pit types, and color), - Plums (size, maturity date, sugar content, acidity, ripening, skin/flesh types, and color) - Grapes (size, maturity date, acidity, seed trace, sugar content, and color) • Performed storage trials for peach, nectarine and plum cultivars• Interacted with Sun World divisions (Sales, Marketing, R&D, and corporate branches)

• Thesis: The role of G-protein signaling in pathogenesis in Cercospora zeae-maydis• Performed pathogenesis assays and molecular techniques on C. zeae-maydis strains. • Worked with a variety of fungal and bacterial systems (Fungal: C. zeae-maydis [Gray leaf spot on maize], C. zeina [Gray leaf spot on maize], C. sojina [Frogeye leaf spot on soybean], C. kikuchii [Leaf blight & purple seed stain on soybean], F. verticillioides [Stalk, ear rot, & fumonisin on maize], Aspergillus species [Ear rot & aflatoxin on maize], B. maydis [Southern corn leaf blight on maize], M. fructicola [Brown rot on Prunus species], Morchella species, and Shiitake species. Bacterial: X. arboricola pv pruni [Bacterial spot on Prunus species], E. coli, and A. tumefaciens) • Adapted and refined protocols for use in different fungal systems• Learned skills: - P-32 Southern blots – certified through University of Arkansas- DNA extraction, traditional PCR, gel electrophoresis- Dilutions, cell/spore counts, spore suspensions and inoculations, staining- Isolation and identification of bacterial and fungal pathogens from field- Maintenance of bacterial and fungal isolates in the lab- Experimental design and data organization- A broad suite of molecular techniques for genetic studies

- Fungal biology, Instructor: Dr. Burt Bluhm; Fall 2014- Led a group study on the biology of Bipolaris maydis

Adair Bollenbacher Internship Supervisors: Drs. Robert Hirsch and Burt Bluhm• Was involved in a four month research study of genes involved in pathogenesis in Cercospora zeae-maydis • Learned molecular and genetic techniques utilized in mutant generation, isolation and validation• Assisted graduate students in a variety of C. zeae-maydis and F. oxysporum projects • Learned skills: - Plated a variety of media (examples: V-8, minimal, complete, and regeneration media)- Made a variety of solutions (examples: 5M KOH, YEPD broth, TAE buffers, CTAB) - Maintained fungal cultures for assays- Took confocal micrographs of C. zeae-maydis isolates

- Microbiology, Instructor: Dr. Gerald Schlink; Fall 2011- Prepared the lab and guided students in microbiological techniques

- Botany, Instructor: Dr. Roland Fraser; Spring 2011 - Taught fungal/lichen lab and fruit/seed lab