-Rhizolab Alumni-
- Laboratory Research Analyst
Joe Kupper
Past purveyor of all things lab
2007-2025
Office:
S-120 Ag Science Center North Bldg.
1100 Nicholasville Road
Lexington, KY 40546
Phone: 859.257.7311
Past purveyor of all things lab
2007-2025
Office:
S-120 Ag Science Center North Bldg.
1100 Nicholasville Road
Lexington, KY 40546
Phone: 859.257.7311
-Postdoctoral Scholars
Angelica Jaconi
Co-advised with Dr. Hanna Poffenbarger
Project: FTIR-based predictive modeling of plant and soil composition
Office:
S-120 Ag Science Center North Bldg.
1100 Nicholasville Road
Lexington, KY 40546
Phone: 859.257.7311
Project: FTIR-based predictive modeling of plant and soil composition
Office:
S-120 Ag Science Center North Bldg.
1100 Nicholasville Road
Lexington, KY 40546
Phone: 859.257.7311
Dr. Sunendra Joshi
Rhizosphere Biogeochemical Processes
Project: Rhizosphere priming effects on legacy organic phosphorus (Po) in a winter wheat/corn rotation
Currently a postdoctoral scholar with Dr. Donald Sparks at the University of Delaware
Project: Rhizosphere priming effects on legacy organic phosphorus (Po) in a winter wheat/corn rotation
Currently a postdoctoral scholar with Dr. Donald Sparks at the University of Delaware
Dr. Na Ding
Rhizosphere Biogeochemical Processes
Project: Influence of plant endophytic fungal associations on root system architecture and nutrient (P) acquisition
Project: Influence of plant endophytic fungal associations on root system architecture and nutrient (P) acquisition
- Currently a Research Scientist managing the research program for Felix Fritschi at the University of Missouri
Dr. Haichao Guo
Rhizosphere Biogeochemical Processes
Project: Influence of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on P speciation, microbial community structure, enzyme activity and P uptake
Project: Influence of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on P speciation, microbial community structure, enzyme activity and P uptake
- Currently a Research Scientist in he research program for Felix Fritschi at the University of Missouri
Dr. Mohammad Babar Ali
Plant Molecular Biology
Project: The influence of microbial based soil addititves on plant growth promotion and stress tolerance
Dr. Alison White
Rhizosphere Biogeochemical Processes
Project: Plant-Microbe Communication In The Medicago Truncatula Rhizosphere: Functional Metagenomics, Biochemistry, And Community Analysis
Project: Plant-Microbe Communication In The Medicago Truncatula Rhizosphere: Functional Metagenomics, Biochemistry, And Community Analysis
- Currently Quality Control Scientist at Patheon Biologics, Brisbane, AU
GRADAUTE STUDENTS
Dr. Brian Rinehart
Ph.D. Integrated Plant and Soil Sciences - 2025
Co-advised with Dr. Hanna Poffenbarger
Project: Quantifying plant root carbon contributions to soil organic matter formation and stabilization
Co-advised with Dr. Hanna Poffenbarger
Project: Quantifying plant root carbon contributions to soil organic matter formation and stabilization
Dr. Travis Banet
Ph.D. Integrated Plant and Soil Sciences - 2024
Co-advised with Dr. Hanna Poffenbarger
Project: Quantifying plant root carbon contributions to soil organic matter formation and stabilization.
Co-advised with Dr. Hanna Poffenbarger
Project: Quantifying plant root carbon contributions to soil organic matter formation and stabilization.
Dr. Rebecca McGrail
Ph.D. Integrated Plant and Soil Sciences - 2020
Dissertation Project: "Rhizosphere priming effects on legacy organic phosphorus (Po) in managed agroecosystems
Dissertation Project: "Rhizosphere priming effects on legacy organic phosphorus (Po) in managed agroecosystems
- Currently a postdoctoral scholar with Dr. Rebecca McCulley at the University of Kentucky
Dr. Wes Morris
PhD NSF Graduate Research Fellow 2015-2019
Integrated Plant and Soil Sciences
Dissertation Project: Dissertation Project: Investigation of the development and function of the microbial community in the rhizosphere of metal hyperaccumulating plants in response to increasing metal concentrations
Integrated Plant and Soil Sciences
Dissertation Project: Dissertation Project: Investigation of the development and function of the microbial community in the rhizosphere of metal hyperaccumulating plants in response to increasing metal concentrations
- Currently a faculty member at Berea College
Thomas Muratore
M.S. Integrated Plant and Soil Sciences - 2017-2019
Thesis Project: Long-term effects of crop rotation on soil quality and plant productivity
Thesis Project: Long-term effects of crop rotation on soil quality and plant productivity
- Earned a PhD in the lab of Serita Frey at the University of New Hampshire
- Currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at Dartmouth College.
Dr. Rick Lewis
M.S. IPSS 2011
Thesis Project: "The role of microRNAs in root nodule formation and function in raz (requires additional zinc), a mutant of the model legume Medicago truncatula, exposed to excess Zn."
PhD Soil Science 2016
Dissertation Project: "The environmental effects of manufactured nanomaterials plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)"
Thesis Project: "The role of microRNAs in root nodule formation and function in raz (requires additional zinc), a mutant of the model legume Medicago truncatula, exposed to excess Zn."
PhD Soil Science 2016
Dissertation Project: "The environmental effects of manufactured nanomaterials plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)"
- Completed a Postdoc in the lab of Tara Sullivan at Washington State University
- Completed a Postdoc in the Soil Microbial Ecology lab of Dr. Nhu Nguyen at the University of Hawaii.
- Currently employed with Corteva in Hawaii
Dr. Jingqi Guo
PhD Plant Physiology, 2014
Dissertation Project: "The influence of endosymbiotic plant fungal interactions on root exudate composition and rhizosphere processes"
Dissertation Project: "The influence of endosymbiotic plant fungal interactions on root exudate composition and rhizosphere processes"
- Previously a postdoc in the lab of Dr. Fugen Dou at Texas A&M after which Dr. Guo returned to school to earn a degree in computer sci. She is now working for IBM in California.
Kavita Mizin
M.S. IPSS 2014 (co-advised with Dr. Krista Jacobsen, Horticulture)
Thesis Project: "Nitrogen cycling in high tunnel production systems"
Thesis Project: "Nitrogen cycling in high tunnel production systems"
- Currently working for the USDA - Beltsville, Maryland
Sarah Baltzley
M.S. IPSS 2012
Thesis Project: "Influence of microbial inoculants on nickel tolerance and hyperaccumulation in two Alyssum species"
Thesis Project: "Influence of microbial inoculants on nickel tolerance and hyperaccumulation in two Alyssum species"
- Currently a research assistant with Abeer M. Al-Ghananeem at Sullivan University College of Pharmacy, Louisville, Kentucky
Rebecca Sims
M.S. IPSS 2012
Thesis Project: "The Role of Metals in the Plant Chemical Defense Responses to Insect Herbivore Attack"
Thesis Project: "The Role of Metals in the Plant Chemical Defense Responses to Insect Herbivore Attack"
Don Schwer III
M.S. IPSS 2010
Thesis Project: "Speciation and spatial distribution of Cr, Cu and As from CCA treated fences across the Kentucky landscape."
Thesis Project: "Speciation and spatial distribution of Cr, Cu and As from CCA treated fences across the Kentucky landscape."
- Currently an Enforcement Officer with the greater Chicago area EPA
Undergradaute Researchers
Paige Williams
Paige Williams
Undergraduate Research Assistant - 2016-2018
Earned a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
Undergraduate Research Assistant - 2016-2018
Earned a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
Shreeya Shrestha
Undergraduate Research Assistant - 2016-2017
Earned a B.S. in Biology
Earned a B.S. in Biology
Olivia Jones
Undergraduate Research Assistant - 2013-2015
UK AgBiotech Undergrad
UK AgBiotech Undergrad
- Currently pursuing M.S. in Genetics at University of Illinois
Julie Lambers
Undergraduate Research Assistant - 2012-2013
UK AgBiotech Undergrad
UK AgBiotech Undergrad
Ryan Hammond
Undergraduate Research Assistant - 2009
Janet Chappell
Undergraduate Research Assistant 2010-2011
- Earned an M.S. in Soil Science with Dr.Wei Shi at North Carolina State University, USA
Sally Stevens (Chambers)
Undergraduate Research Assistant - 2008
- Received her PhD (Dec 2014) from the Botany and Plant Pathology Program at Purdue University with Nancy Emery
- Postdoc with Emily Sessa at the University of Florida
- Currently a Professor at Eastern KY University
Ryan Quire
Undergraduate Research Assistant - 2008
- Completed an M.S. degree with Matt Lavin at Montana State University.
Working as a Wetland Scientist/Botanist at Confluence Consulting
Visiting Research Scholars
Ana Elena Pradas del Real
PhD, IMIDRA Finca del Encin, Spain 2014
Thesis Project: Elucidating the chromium detoxification pathway in the multi-metal accumulator Silene vulgaris
Thesis Project: Elucidating the chromium detoxification pathway in the multi-metal accumulator Silene vulgaris
- Currently a postdoc in the lab of Gerladine Sarret at ISTerre, Grenoble, France
Maria Morrogh-Bernard
Universidad de Bueonos Aires, Argentina
B.S. Agronomic Engineering 2016
Research Project: Development of a high-throughput method for screening phytosiderophore production and its application to screening historical hard red spring wheat varieties in commercial production from 1910 to 1997
B.S. Agronomic Engineering 2016
Research Project: Development of a high-throughput method for screening phytosiderophore production and its application to screening historical hard red spring wheat varieties in commercial production from 1910 to 1997
- Earned an M.S. in IPSS Crop Science at the University of Kentucky with Dr. Montse Salmeron
- Currently working in Argentina
High School Researchers
Orsolya Hegyi
High School Student Researcher
Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School
KY Young Researchers Program
Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School
KY Young Researchers Program
- Earned a B.A. and B.E. in Engineering at Dartmouth College, USA
- Earned an M.S. in Urban Planning from NYU Wagner School GSPS
- Currently an Engineering Supervisor at Con Edison NY
- Linkedin profile
Debbie Ferguson
High School Student Researcher
Paul Lawrence Dunbar H.S.
KY Young Researchers Program
Paul Lawrence Dunbar H.S.
KY Young Researchers Program
- Currently a student at the University of Kentucky, USA
Kelly Chen
Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School
KY Young Researchers Program
Project: Identifying novel antibiotic resistant microorganisms in the rhizosphere of metal hyperacumulating plants grown in serpentine soils
KY Young Researchers Program
Project: Identifying novel antibiotic resistant microorganisms in the rhizosphere of metal hyperacumulating plants grown in serpentine soils