Wesley Hancock, Ph.D. Email and Phone Number

• Evaluated interspecific hybrid introgression lines to numerous plant pathogens in field trials• Began pyramiding new sources of disease resistances into a single genotype to develop improved peanut germplasm

• Member of a team directly involved in the peanut cultivar development process• Generated breeding hybrids, conducted selection in breeding nurseries, and production of breeders seed• Assisted with planting, monitoring, and harvesting of selection nurseries in N.C. and in Puerto Rico• Conducted field trial evaluation of agronomic performance of peanut breeding lines and potential cultivar releases• Determined quality and flavor attributes of advanced breeding lines to maintain current industry standards• Designed, executed, and analyzed laboratory, greenhouse, and field research experiments• Evaluated breeding lines’ reaction to numerous plant pathogens in greenhouse and field trials• Collaborated with scientist at other universities to generate molecular marker data using the latest technologies• Associated SNP markers with disease resistance traits in interspecific crosses and using bulked segregant analysis• Conducted a genome-wide association analysis for yield and disease resistance traits in a set of peanut breeding lines• Estimated the predictive ability of various genomic selection models using a set of extensively tested breeding lines• Effectively communicated results through oral presentations, written documents, and at grower field days• Gained proficiency in the software: SAS, R, ASReml, Axiom Analysis Suite, TASSEL, JMP Genomics, Map Chart, JoinMap

Member of a team directly involved in the flue-cured tobacco cultivar development process• Executed laboratory and field research experiments with various tobacco market-types• Generated and analyzed molecular marker data (SSRs) and developed a linkage map of a tobacco F2 population• Assisted with daily tasks of running a plant breeding program including making breeding crosses, selection in breeding nurseries, breeders seed production, hybrid seed production, and supervision of part-time employees• Evaluated levels of heterosis in diverse crosses to further improve commercialization of hybrid tobacco cultivars• Transformed tobacco with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and demonstrated the value of this transgene as a tool for isolating maternal haploids of tobacco in the production of doubled haploids

-Directly involved with field and lab research with corn, cotton, oats, triticale, and wheat.-Collected data on plant development, disease ratings, and end yield and quality.-Participated in small grains crossing program.-Assisted in selection and harvesting of wheat and oat plots.-Lab work included germination testing, data entry, DNA collection, and molecular marker analysis.

-Scouted cotton, peanut, and soybean fields for biotic and abiotic stresses and reported findings to crop consultant.