• Collaborated with teams of scientists from Washington University, The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and The Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center (USDA-ARS)• Used whole genome sequencing, transcriptomics, ionomics, and image analysis to understand the genetic basis of salt tolerance in the turfgrass seashore paspalum• Identified QTLs associated with disease resistance in rice• Assembled transcriptomes and performed differential expression analysis to study the role of non-reproductive flowers in sorghum and related grasses• De-novo long-read genome assembly, linkage map construction and identification of QTLs associated with adaptation to different climates in the forage crop white clover • Performed model-based gene identification and clustering analysis to study the CLE gene family across 40 plant species

• Quantified male-mediated non-random mating in Arabidopsis with pollen competition assays• Identified QTLs associated with seed yield in Arabidopsis

Led a team of undergraduates in day-to-day management of agricultural research plots (primarily corn, tomatoes and cucurbits). Tasks included data collection, experimental design, irrigation, fertilizer application, planting and harvesting.