Operation Student Connection - Previous Recipients

2001 - 2008 Recipients

2009 ASRF Operation Student Connection

OSC is a program of American Seed Research Foundation (ASRF), supported by ASTA and the seed industry, to reach out to graduate students in seed related disciplines who will be future players in our industry. It facilitates the inclusion of these students at our ASTA convention in a coordinated program of participation and mentoring.

We at ASRF sincerely thank our 2009 OSC Company Sponsors:

• Beck’s Superior Hybrids, Atlanta, IN
• Monsanto, St Louis, MO
• Sakata Seed America, Inc., Morgan Hill, CA
• Seeds of Change, Santa Fe, NM
• Syngenta Seeds Inc., Boise, ID

These sponsors are providing financial support for individual students for travel expenses to the ASTA convention through ASRF, and also are providing convention mentors for the students.

OUR STUDENT GUESTS

Kimberly Cochran, University of Arkansas

Focus	Seeking Ph.D., Plant Sciences with emphasis in Plant Pathology (2013)
Contact Information	217 PTSC University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72704	(479) 236-3515 (479) 575-7601 fax kab11@uark.edu
Previous Degrees	Bachelor of Science in Biology, Master of Science in Plant Pathology
Major Professor	Dr. John Rupe, jrupe@uark.edu
Title of Research Study	Soybean vigor and quality: An investigation of relationships among organisms present in seed and vigor.
Description	Examination of relationships between seed vigor, quality, and organisms recovered from seed lots using a variety of techniques. Establishment of high quality seed lots and improving quality of seed lots with low vigor are goals of this study.
Future Plans	To further research and grower knowledge in plant health and seed quality by contributing to meaningful outreach programs in the field of plant pathology.

Kayse Onweller, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Focus	Seeking Master’s in Agronomy-Plant Breeding (2011)
Contact Information	373 Plant Science Bldg 1875 N. 38th St., Lincoln, NE 68583	(517) 673-8418 (402) 472-7904 fax onwelle1@huskers.unl.edu
Previous Degrees	B.S., Plant Biology
Major Professor	P. Stephen Baenziger, pbaenziger@unl.edu
Title of Research Study	Characterization of synthetic parent plants for novel sources of genetic variation.
Description	Applied plant breeding for introgression of novel germplasm into modern cultivars to widen the wheat genepool. A wide variety of disease and pest assays will be implemented on the synthetic (Triticum durum (AABB) x T. tauschii (DD) parents (originally selected for drought tolerance) as well as modern cultivars. The F2s of the synthetic x modern cultivars cross will be screened for segregation of any novel beneficial traits that the synthetic contributes.
Future Plans	Enter into the seed industry or USDA as a crop breeder.

Michael J. Kovach, Cornell University

Focus	Seeking an PhD in Plant Breeding and Genetics (2010)
Contact Information	253 Emerson Hall Ithaca, NY 14853	(814) 207-0434 (607) 255-6683 fax mjk73@cornell.edu
Previous Degrees	Bachelor of Science in Horticulture with minors in Biology and Plant Pathology
Major Professor	Susan R. McCouch, srm4@cornell.edu
Title of Research Study	Identifying the genetic mechanisms underlying domestication and grain quality traits in rice and exploring their evolutionary histories.
Description	Characterizing the genetic and phenotypic diversity of both wild and cultivated rice species in an effort to understand how to better utilize this diversity in breeding efforts.
Future Plans	To obtain a position at the USDA or a private crop breeding company.

Peter Maloney, North Carolina State University

Focus	Seeking a Master of Science, Crop Sciences (2009)
Contact Information	1021 B3 Avent Hill Raleigh, NC 27606	(371) 403-7908 pvmalone@nscu.edu
Previous Degrees	B.S., Crop and Soil Science
Major Professor	Dr. Paul Murphy, Paul_Murphy@ncsu.edu
Title of Research Study	The use of new markers in common cultivated oats (Avena sativa L) and their association with traits for increased winter hardiness.
Description	Focus on breeding methods, population genetics, statistics, plant pathology, crop physiology and biotechnology
Future Plans	Completing Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, then work for a private company as an applied plant breeder.

Bhuvan Pathak, University of Florida

Focus	Seeking a Ph.D. in Agronomy (2010)
Contact Information	330G, Cancer/Genetics Research Complex 1376 Mowry Road PO Box 103610 Gainesville, FL 32610-3610	(352) 273-8197 (352) 273-8284 fax bhuvan81@ufl.edu
Previous Degrees	B.S. in Plant Sciences (2002), Masters in Biotechnology (2004)
Major Professor	Dr. Maria Gallo, mgm@ufl.edu
Title of Research Study	Effect of Calcium on Peanut Seed Development
Description	The aim of the research is to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern peanut seed development to increase crop productivity.
Future Plans	To seed a permanent scientific position in crop improvement.