Kassie Hollabaugh standing outside

From Graduate School to Tenure-Track: Kassie Hollabaugh

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                                Meet Kassie Hollabaugh, a doctoral candidate who has dedicated her graduate studies to the art of teaching and mentoring. Originally from Warren, Pennsylvania, Hollabaugh moved to Knoxville in 2015 to pursue her education at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In 2019, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, specializing in ecology and evolutionary biology, and minoring in wildlife and fisheries science. Remaining at UTK, Hollabaugh delved deeper into her studies, earning a master’s degree in entomology and plant pathology in 2022. She’s set to complete her doctorate in December of 2023. Her current research explores how a fungus interacts with insects and

Corey Day

Impactful Research on La Crosse Virus: Corey Day

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                            With a passion for advocating science policy, Corey Day, a first-generation college student, channels his research to protect communities from the threats posed by vector-borne diseases. Graduating from Western Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in environmental health and a master’s degree in biology, Day has since set his sights on a mission – to protect the health and wellbeing of communities from mosquito-borne diseases. Currently pursuing a doctoral degree with a focus in bioinformatics, genomics, and molecular interactions, Day is using a combination of entomology and epidemiology to investigate the distribution of pediatric La Crosse virus disease in eastern Tennessee and North Carolina.   Q&A

From Investigating Bollworm Resistance to Navigating Graduate School: Dawson Kerns

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                            Fueled by his upbringing, Dawson Kerns, a doctoral student in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, is dedicated to understanding a major cotton pest, bollworm, and its resistance mechanisms. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in entomology from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Kerns embarked on his Ph.D. journey in 2020 under the guidance of Professors Juan Jurat-Fuentes and Scott Stewart. With a focus on bollworms (Helicoverpa zea), a significant threat to cotton crops, Kerns’ research aims to answer research questions related to insecticidal protein resistance.   Q&A with Dawson Kerns Can you tell me a little bit

Rebecca Butler in Field holding a raccoon

Student Spotlight: Rebecca Butler

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                                  While building a career as a wildlife mammalogist, Rebecca Butler discovered medical entomology. This event inspired her to enroll in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology and study under associate professor Rebecca Trout Fryxell. In 2021, Butler was recognized by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture alongside her advisor, professor Karen Vail, and research specialist Jennifer Chandler for their publication, Managing Ticks on School Grounds. In her spare time, Butler enjoys whitewater kayaking and mountain biking.    Q&A with Rebecca Butler Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? I began my academic career as a wildlife mammalogist where I

Portrait of Taylor Miller

Student Spotlight: Taylor Miller

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                              Taylor Miller began her profession in the chemical industry, developing adjuvants to improve herbicide and fungicide applications. After working in this field, Miller was inspired to seek a deeper education in plant diseases. In the fall of 2021, she arrived at the University of Tennessee to study plant pathology under the tutelage of Zach Hansen, assistant professor and Extension specialist. As a graduate student, Miller has presented her research and participated in educational events. In her free time, Miller enjoys paddle boarding, boxing, and spending time with her dog Rocky.   Q&A with Taylor Miller Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? I

Shelly presenting a research poster

Student Spotlight: Shelly Pate

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  Q&A with Shelly Pate Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? My name is Shelly Pate. August 2022 marked the beginning of my 3rd year as a Ph.D. student at the University of Tennessee. My advisor is Dr. Heather Kelly, and she is stationed at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson, TN. I spend most of my time on main campus in Knoxville. However, I travel to Jackson to set up/harvest my field research trials as needed. My project involves working with nematodes and soybeans in two different capacities. More specifically, I am investigating any potential relationships between economically important nematodes (soybean cyst, southern root-knot, reniform) and an emerging soil-borne fungal pathogen (Xylaria necrophora).

Sandra Pena

Student Spotlight: Sandra Pena

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  Questions   Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? I am a professional student seeking a second graduate degree in entomology and plant pathology through the Herbert College of Agriculture. Professionally, I have worked as an infectious disease epidemiologist for the last eight years, but I have always been interested in zoonotic diseases. So, I started pursuing this degree because I am interested in the intersection of public health and insects as vectors of disease. What are your current interests? I am mostly interested in mosquitos, ticks, and fleas as they are transmitters of diseases like Yellow Fever, Malaria, Lyme disease, and plague (to name a few) all of which are very serious diseases investigated by public

Zaklina Pavlovic

Student Spotlight: Žaklina Pavlović

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  Questions   Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? My name is Žaklina Pavlović. You can call me Jackie. I am a Ph.D. student at the EPP department, and I work with Dr. Trigiano. My research mainly focuses on transcriptomic work related to flowering dogwoods. I am from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe. And if you would ask me what the Serbian national brand is, I would respond right away with these three names: Mihajlo Pupin, Nikola Tesla, and Novak Djokovic. Once I finish my Ph.D. program, I plan to grow coffee and develop my coffee brand. What is your current concentration? My current concentration is

portrait of Jessica Krob

Student Spotlight: Jessica Krob

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  Jessica Krob was born in the “Air Capital of the World,” Wichita, Kansas. However, when she was a young child, her family moved to Springfield, Missouri. Her favorite part about Springfield was being just a short drive to Table Rock Lake, where her family enjoyed boating on the weekends. Years later, Krob relocated to Jonesboro, AR, to attend Arkansas State University as an undergraduate student. Little did she know, she would be exposed to the agricultural industry. “I became interested in entomology while working as an undergraduate researcher for Dr. Tina Gray Teague, a field crop entomologist,” Krob stated. During this time, she learned the ends and outs of small-plot research. Krob was responsible for maintaining her project and

portrait of Rufus Akinrinlola

Student Spotlight: Rufus Akinrinlola

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  Rufus Akinrinlola was born and raised in Southwest Nigeria. While in his home country, he also received his undergraduate degree in microbiology. Before enrolling as a Ph.D. student within the Entomology and Plant Pathology Department (EPP), he attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to receive his master’s in plant pathology. During his time at UNL, he studied under the supervision of Professor Gary Yuen and Dr. Tony Adesemove. Akinrinlola mentioned that under their leadership, he learned “to treat everyone like family” and to “always be available ad create time for mentees”. Akinrinlola, a fourth-year Ph.D. student with a concentration in Sustainable Disease and Integrated Pest Management, has researched the answers to many questions related to his studies. His latest