I'm anticipating graduating in either spring of 2027 or 2028 depending on if it takes 4 or 5 years!
Research Focus:
My research is focused on developing strawberries with premium flavor grown specifically in controlled environment agriculture settings. I will be growing many different varieties of strawberries and developing genetic markers for traits related to flavor, fruit quality and production. Using that data as well as chemical analysis data related to flavor that another group is working on, we will develop and conduct crosses so we can (hopefully) breed new strawberries with premium flavor that will grow well in controlled environment agriculture systems.
Why OSU?
I chose OSU because this program has a really good track record of students going on to great things after graduation, especially in industry which is my ultimate end goal. Many faculty also had projects that I was interested in that would allow me to work in plant genetics with a project that translates well into what is becoming big in industry as well as allowing me to get hands on experience growing plants. The faculty and students were also really welcoming and made me feel at home from the very beginning.