Below is a selection of faculty and research projects that are open for the summer of 2025. Please include the name of any faculty member(s) that you are interested in working with on your application. This list is not exhaustive, so if you don't see an exact project matching your interests, don't hesitate to reach out to our program coordinators to see if we may have a fit for you.
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Animal Sciences
Benjamin Enger (Wooster)
Dairy, Mastitis, Mammary Physiology
Dr. Enger has led the OARDC Mastitis and Mammary Physiology Laboratory since 2018. The long-terms goals of the laboratory are to reduce the occurrence and impact that mastitis has on mammary gland productivity and delineate fundamental aspects of mammary gland biology that affect mammary gland growth, development, and milk production. Accordingly, the laboratory conducts both in vivo and in vitro applied research that is directly applicable to the dairy industry and basic research investigating fundamental concepts of mammary gland biology and function. The laboratory has 3 key areas:
- Identify and apply mastitis abatement practices and tools to reduce disease prevalence, occurrence, and economic losses in lactating and non-lactating cattle.
- Delineate and limit how mastitis hinders milk synthesis and secretion and mammary growth and development.
- Identify foundational processes of mammary gland growth and development that can be exploited to enhance mammary gland growth, development, and productivity.
Potential Summer Projects: Collection and analysis of dairy cattle udders to assess the growth and maturation of mammary tissue as influenced by stage of pregnancy. Challenge of dairy cows with bacterial fragments to determine the cow's host immune response to potent immunostimulants.
Alvaro Garcia Guerra (Columbus)
Reproductive Physiology, Beef, Dairy, Reproductive Biotechnologies
Dr. Garcia Guerra’s research interests focus on two main areas regarding cattle reproduction. The first area focuses on investigating strategies that improve reproductive efficiency, primarily in beef cattle. The study of follicle dynamics and the selection mechanism play a key role in the development of more efficient reproductive management techniques.
The second area is focused on further our understanding on the causes and mechanisms involved in pregnancy loss in cattle. This area combines both basic and applied research and utilizes recipients of in vitro produced embryos as a model.
Potential Summer Projects: Optimization of the dose of Pluset for ovum pick-up and in vitro embryo production in young cattle Reproductive physiology and performance of beef heifers with differing genomic merit for fertility Pregnancy loss in cattle: Maintenance or regression of the corpus luteum beyond classical maternal recognition of pregnancy
Ali Nazmi (Wooster)
Nutritional Immunology
Dr. Nazmi started his appointment as an assistant professor in nutritional immunology in the Department of Animal Sciences as well as the Foods for Health Discovery Theme. His research goal is to translate his mucosal immunology research in the murine model into farm animals, particularly poultry and pigs. He is interested in studying host-pathogen interactions, and resistance to enteric diseases in poultry. Also, he is interested in investigating the metabolic role for intestinal immune cells using the pig and mouse models.
Potential Summer Projects:
- Investigating whether bovine-milk osteopontin (bmOPN) can serve as a potential growth promotor for chickens. Our goal is to determine the functions of bmOPN supplementation via in-ovo injection and drinking water in the development of intestinal and mucosal immunity in chickens when there are both homeostatic and inflammatory conditions.
- Develop a novel, safe, and efficacious multivalent vaccine using eBeam technology to control Clostridium perfringens and Mycoplasma gallisepticum in chickens.
- Determine the effects of various egg production systems and housing environments on microbiota, immune development, disease susceptibility and transmission, and bird performance.
Grazyne Tresoldi (Columbus)
Animal Behavior (applied ethology), Animal Welfare, Dairy Science
Dr. Tresoldi's research offers considerable opportunities to improve dairy cattle welfare, production, and farm sustainability. It also provides opportunities for collaboration with researchers across campus and beyond. She is particularly interested in examining how Ohio's dairy industry addresses challenges posed by adverse weather conditions and in developing strategies to mitigate potential risks in the future, and identifying the barriers to implementing better animal welfare practices. Additionally, she is committed to raising awareness and knowledge about food animal welfare among students and dairy industry allies, by equipping them to address challenges in responsible food production. Her goal is to inspire positive change in the dairy industry to benefit both animals and those who rely on them for sustenance.
Potential Summer Projects: The AWER (pronounced like ‘aware’) Lab uses behavior and physiology to understand how farm animals respond to environmental, health, and management factors. We collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to design climate-smart systems and identify barriers to better animal welfare practices. Our goal is to make society more aware of the needs of farm animals, enabling informed decisions that improve animal welfare, address challenges in responsible food production, and promote sustainability in the industry. This summer we will be conducting dairy cattle welfare assessments across OH dairy farms.
Kimberly Cole (Columbus)
Poultry, Equine management, Immunology
Dr. Cole has an active, diverse research program involving both horses and poultry. The focus of her equine research is the evaluation of traditional management practices on behavioral and physiological responses of horses to improve horse health. Current projects include investigating the effects of probiotics on immune responses and microflora in the gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts. The focus of her poultry research is the reduction of the food-borne pathogens, Salmonella and Campylobacter, in pre-harvest poultry. Salmonella and Campylobacter continue to be the most commonly reported bacterial causes of human food-borne illness worldwide, and epidemiological evidence indicates that poultry and poultry products are a significant source of human infection. As poultry flocks that are not infected with these organisms cannot contribute to the contamination of poultry products, pre-harvest intervention is an important strategy for reducing the contamination of poultry products with these food-borne pathogens.
Potential Summer Projects: Evaluation of cytokines in equine biobehavioral responses. Influence of anti-inflammatories on SAA concentrations.
Hui Yu (Columbus)
Animal Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Muscle and Adipose Tissue Biology, Neuroscience
Dr. Yu's research interests include:
- Identifying novel molecular targets in the central nervous system that respond to hunger and satiety signals through the use of spatial- and single-cell omics technology.
- Characterizing important genetic regulations that respond to hunger and satiety signals and evaluating their systematic effects on controlling energy homeostasis and eating behaviors.
- Exploring the neuronal circuits linked to metabolic homeostasis to unravel the intricate interplay of signals that regulate the body's energy balance
- Unraveling the genetic foundations of the central regulation of metabolic disorders associated with human diseases, such as Prader-Willi Syndrome.
- Exploration on the cellular and genetic factors that contributing to the Wooden-Breast syndrome in broiler chicken.
The overall aim of Dr Yu’s research projects is to integrate computational methods and well-controlled biochemical, molecular, cellular and genetic experimental approaches to decipher the intricate biological puzzles underlying disorders in both human and farm animals.
Potential Summer Projects:
- Identification of critical transcription factors involved in the central nervous system's regulation of obesity.
- Functional validation of genes potentially induced Prader-Willi Syndrome.
- Characterization of genes important for Wooden Breast syndrome in broilers.
Thaddeus Ezeji (Wooster)
Fermentation biology, Microbiology
Dr. Ezeji is a professor in the departments of Animal Sciences and Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering as well as Departmental Associate Chair. Dr. Ezeji's research program focuses on the following areas:
- Development of processes for extracting sugars from lignocellulosic biomass
- Understanding the generation of lignocellulose-derived microbial inhibitory compounds (LDMICs) during the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass and their effects on fermenting microorganisms
- Understanding and developing strategies to ameliorate the undesirable effects of lignocellulose LDMICs on fermenting microorganisms
- Design of fermentation systems compatible with agricultural, food and industrial wastes
- Development of effective strategies for the biological treatment of agricultural, food and industrial wastes (bioremediation)
Potential Summer Projects:
- Production of biobased chemicals and fuels
- Wastewater treatment technologies
- Bioremediation of chemicals in soils and wastes
Aradhya Gourapura (Wooster)
Vaccines, Influenza, Salmonella, and Zoonotic Diseases
Dr. Gourapura is the director of the Center for Food Animal Health, a group specializing in the intersection of animal models and pathogens. The Gourapura lab's research is focused on mucosal immunology in food animals infected with infectious and zoonotic diseases. Broad areas of Dr. Gourapura's research include understanding the host pathogen interactions, microbial pathogenesis, developing pig models to reveal the influence of human microbiome on vaccines and diseases, and understanding immune evasion mechanisms in food animals infected with viral and bacterial pathogens. Another focus of research in the laboratory is on developing large animal models for biomedical, preclinical research in the areas of both infectious and non-infectious diseases to improve human health. Dr. Gourapura is leading a collaborative team of scientists at USDA research facilities in Maryland and Iowa and Dr. Kenney from CFAH, in developing new swine immune reagents and their evaluation through functional and phenotypic analysis.
Potential Summer Projects: Oral vaccine studies in poultry to protect humans against Salmonella food poisoning.
Scott Kenney (Wooster)
Zoonotic viruses and transmission
Dr. Kenney is a part of the Center for Food Animal Health, a group specializing in the intersection of animal models and pathogens. The Kenney Lab focus is on understanding how (mostly) positive stranded RNA viruses interact with their hosts using viral infectious clones and reverse genetic systems. Currently, we work on hepatitis E virus (HEV), porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), African swine fever virus, and turkey reovirus. We have additional interests in establishing animal models for human disease and high containment pathogen research.
Potential Summer Projects: The Kenney laboratory has a multitude of projects focused on molecular virology. The include cloning to develop virus reporter assays, and working with differing type of cell culture systems.
Entomology
Jeni Filbrun (Wooster)
Curator of the United Titanium Bug Zoo
The mission of the Bug Zoo is to promote awareness, dispel the myths and ignite curiosity in the unseen world of Arthropods, striving to entice budding young entomologists into the exciting field of Entomology.
The common reality is that many people fear insects, which results in an inability to appreciate and understand the significant contributions Arthropods have made on the health of the planet. By maintaining a collection of live animals that are accessible and presented in a non-threatening way, one is able to see them in a new light. This hands-on approach allows people of all ages to explore the wonders of insects in a safe environment.
Potential Summer Project:
- Outreach and education: research techniques, impacts and outcomes for the Bug Zoo. Would be an excellent opportunity for Ag communications.
- Animal care: Research food choices or best practices for the live insects on display. Create displays or educational activities based on their research
Reed Johnson (Wooster)
Apiculture, Pollinator toxicology, Genomics
Insect pollinators are vital for the production of many fruits, nuts and vegetables, including apples, blueberries, almonds, tomatoes and pumpkins. These crops are also vulnerable to pests and diseases, which are often controlled through the use of pesticides. However, pesticides may be toxic to insect pollinators, setting up a conflict between the need for pollination and the need for pest and disease control. In the Johnson lab, they are seeking to understand how to protect pollinators from the pesticides and other toxins they encounter. The managed European honey bee, Apis mellifera, serves as a model pollinator for toxicological testing. While the honey bee is the most economically important pollinator in the U.S. and serves as an excellent model species, we are also interested in understanding pesticide toxicity in other pollinating insects as well.
Current research projects include:
- Using sequencing to determine the floral origin of bee-collected pollen
- Determining the impact of corn seed treatment insecticides on honey bee colonies in Ohio
- Comparative toxicogenomics between pollinating bee species: honey bees (Apis mellifera), bumble bees (Bombus impatiens), alfalfa leafcutter bees (Megachile rotundata) and squash bees (Peponapis pruinosa)
- Assessment of honey bee immature survival using a photographic method and analysis by volunteers at http://broodmapper.com
- Comparing the success of managed honey bee colonies in urban and rural environments in Ohio
Potential Summer Projects:
- Testing new chemicals and fungal biocontrol agents to control the Varroa mite, a devastating pest of honey bees.
- Determining the value of pollinator plantings to support bees and other pollinators in and near soybean fields. This may involve collecting and identifying pollinators and other insects, as well as deploying audio recorders to use bioaccoustics to identify bees by sound.
Ashley Leach (Wooster)
Specialty crop entomology, Pest Management, Integrated pest management, Pesticide science
Dr. Leach's research program incorporates pest biology and ecology to design evidence-based pest management approaches for Ohio’s diverse specialty crop industries. Her research aims to support arthropod-mediated ecosystem services to improve agricultural vitality. Her Extension program creates resources for Ohio specialty crop growers to improve current pest management practices. She regularly collaborates across the college with the goal of creating robust tools for stakeholders. Learn more about our research on our lab website- www.ashleybleach.com.
Potential Summer Projects: We have several projects related that are available in fruit and vegetable pest management.
- Tracking an invader: partner with the lab to help alert stakeholders about the movement of a new invasive insect, Spotted Lanternfly across OH's vineyards.
- Keep it buzzing: Quantify pollination (count bees and pollinator visits) and determine the efficacy of additional pollinator supplementation in pumpkin.
- Striking balance: How do you manage insect pests without harming insect pollinators? As part of a regional collaboration, you will participate in an experiment that examines trade-offs (and benefits) to pest management that considers bee safety in watermelon production
Seun Oladipupo (Columbus)
Urban Entomology, Insect-microbe interactions, Sustainable pest management
The Oladipupo Lab will leverage advancements in insect-microbe interactions, genetic engineering, and bioinformatics to develop sustainable urban pest management solutions. To do this, our research will focus on:
- investigating socioeconomic drivers of urban pest prevalence
- leveraging biotechnology to exploit behavior and ecology of urban pests and their microbiomes
- understanding how microbiomes influence key life history traits of these intractable pests
- developing sustainable strategies based on these insights
- creating tools to apply lab-based strategies in real world-settings
Seun’s extension efforts will focus on using this research-based information to improve urban insect management strategies. Collectively, these efforts aim to produce efficient eco-friendly tools for managing urban insects ultimately enhancing the quality of human life.
Kayla Perry (Wooster)
Insect ecology, Forest Entomology, Invasion ecology, Disturbance ecology, Ground beetles (Family Carabidae)
The Forest Insect Ecology lab aims to understand how disturbances influence the structure and function of insect communities in natural and urban forests. This includes natural disturbances such as windstorms and human-induced disturbances such as exotic species. The lab has extensive experience working with ground- and soil-dwelling insects, especially ground beetles (Family Carabidae). With an extension program in forest entomology, Dr. Perry works with a variety of stakeholder groups on issues related to forest insect ecology and management, with a particular focus on invasive forest insects.
Potential Summer Projects: Projects will focus on aspects of insect ecology in forest ecosystems.
- Characterizing insect communities among different forest types or across forest-agricultural interfaces
- Impacts of invasive understory plant management on insect communities
- Potential role of native natural enemies for control of elm zigzag sawfly populations
Peter Piermarini (Wooster)
Insect Physiology and Molecular Biology, Medical and Veterinary Entomology
Dr. Piermarini's laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms of fluid secretion by the renal (Malpighian) tubules of mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae). Aedes mosquitoes are one of the most important vectors for spreading the viral-based illnesses of yellow fever and dengue fever to humans, whereas Anopheles mosquitoes are the primary vectors of malaria. Malpighian tubules are the kidneys of insects. Our kidneys filter our blood to produce a urine, but the Malpighian tubules of insects must actively secrete fluid to produce a urine. He is interested in elucidating how mosquitoes produce urine, because it is vital to their survival after consuming a human blood meal. That is, the Malpighian tubules excrete the excess fluid and salts absorbed from the blood they ingest. If we can identify key genes/proteins involved with urine production by mosquito Malpighian tubules, then we may be able to interfere with this process via genetic disruption or pharmacological agents, thereby making it less likely for a mosquito to bite another person and spread disease.
Potential Summer Projects: Testing of natural products as insecticides and repellents for mosquito control.
Sarah Short (Columbus)
Arthropods that transmit pathogens, especially mosquitoes and ticks, Insect microbe interactions, Insect immunity
Dr. Short's lab is broadly interested in understanding the factors that influence variation in susceptibilty to pathogen infection and transmission of infectious disease. We study how insects interact with harmful and helpful microbes and the ecological and evolutionary forces shaping insect immune defense. As vector biologists, we are also interested in finding ways to use this information to improve our ability to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases. We primarly study Aedes aegypti, the mosquito vector of dengue and Zika virus. We are currently focusing on two major research areas: the factors determining the formation and maintenance of the mosquito microbiome and the impact of the microbiome on mosquito capacity to transmit pathogens.
Potential Summer Projects: In the Short lab, they study interactions between mosquitoes and microbes. They are curious to discover how microbes might be utilized to prevent disease transmission by mosquitoes. Some potential projects include:
- Isolating and culturing bacteria from mosquito larval water, then sequencing those bacteria to determine their identity.
- Testing the effects of exposure to different bacteria on mosquito traits like longevity, immunity, or mating.
- Monitoring local ponds for the presence of mosquito larvae, identifying larvae to species, and determining population sizes over time.
Samuel Ward (Columbus)
Ecology and management of forest insects, Insect responses to climate change, Applied research on pests of woody ornamentals
Sam’s research group (Landscaped Ecosystem and Forest Entomology Lab; LEAFE Lab) studies the ecology and management of insects that feed on trees. They work on a variety of topics across multiple spatial and temporal scales, ranging from biological control of ornamental pests to macroscale ecology of invading forest insects. Most projects are aimed at understanding drivers of the arrival, establishment, and spread of non-native insects (invading species and imported biological control agents), with a particular emphasis on mitigating ecological and economic impacts of invaders. Other themes in the lab include the spatial ecology of arthropods, tree and insect responses to climate change, and ecoinformatics.
Potential Summer Projects:
- Using sentinel prey to evaluate predation rates along rural to urban gradients
- Modeling bark beetle flight timing as a function of environmental variables
- Quantifying host tree preference among invading ambrosia beetles
Shaohui Wu (Columbus)
Turfgrass insect & disease control, Integrated pest management, Insect pathology
Dr. Wu's research interest is focused on integrated management of arthropod pests and diseases in turfgrass. Research areas her lab include but are not limited to chemical control, biological control, microbial control (with entomopathogenic nematodes, fungi, bacteria, or viruses), and pesticide resistance diagnosis and management. She is also interested in exploring novel and eco-friendly tactics for managing turf pests and diseases. The goal of research is to reduce the reliance on chemical pesticides and side effects from chemical applications (e.g. pesticide resistance, non-target effects, water / soil pollution), thus promoting biodiversity and environmental sustainability.
Potential Summer Projects:
- The use of novel biopesticides for managing major turfgrass diseases. Turfgrass health is often affected by various plant pathogens (e.g., bacteria, fungi, Oomycetes, nematodes). Chemical pesticides are heavily applied in high-input turf to maintain the plant health, leading to adverse environmental impacts. Biological options are explored to promote environmental sustainability. The project will involve the isolation of turfgrass pathogens, production of biopesticides, and in-vitro tests on disease suppression in the laboratory.
- Novel formulation for improving the tolerance of entomopathogenic (beneficial) nematodes to ultraviolet radiation. Entomopathogenic nematodes are used for biocontrol of arthropod pests and their efficacy can be affected by environmental conditions like UV radiation. The project will evaluate various materials for improving the UV tolerance of the infective juveniles (the free-living stage of entomopathogenic nematodes) in the laboratory.
Food Science and Technology
Sheryl Barringer (Columbus)
Flavor volatiles. Fruit and vegetable processing, especially tomatoes
Sheryl A. Barringer is a Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at The Ohio State University. She holds a B.S. with Highest Honors in Food Science from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Minnesota, where she was a USDA National Needs Fellow. She teaches courses in fruit and vegetable processing, technical problem solving and chocolate science, and was the 2001 and 2005 recipient of the CFAES Outstanding Teaching Award. Barringer is the Associate Editor for the Foods & Food Ingredients Journal of Japan and a member of numerous professional organizations. Her research is in flavor volatiles, coatings, snack foods and fruit and vegetable processing.
Potential Summer Projects: Reduction of beany off flavors in soybean-based products. Use of fermentation to reduce off flavors. Effect of different proteins on off flavors in yogurt-like products.
Melvin Pascall (Columbus)
Food packaging, antimicrobial packaging, food contact surface sanitization, food safety, food regulations
Dr. Pascall's research is focused on food packaging with emphasis on integrity, modified atmospheric packaging, nano technology and plastics, migration/scalping, edible packaging, packaging material sanitization and food safety.
Potential Summer Projects:
- Sanitization of food contact surfaces using antimicrobial polymeric coatings with strong abilities to resist abrasion.
- Development of electronic sensors to monitor the degradation of plastic waste in landfill environments.
- The chemical analysis of fresh and frozen produce for the uptake of pesticides and its influence on the formation of corrosion in metal cans used to package these foods.
Yael Vodovotz (Columbus)
Bread staling, physico-chemical properties of carbohydrate systems and functional foods, water mobility and functional properties of food components, material properties of biopolymers and bioplastics
Dr. Vodovotz has been working on physico-chemical and molecular properties of foods with an emphasis on carbohydrate systems and functional foods using techniques borrowed from polymer and material sciences. She has completed over 7 clinical trials with functional foods as part of an interdisciplinary team. Dr. Vodovotz has over 70 publications. As part The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences we collaborate with the College of Medicine, and the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center to discover methods to use foods and food components to prevent cancer or to serve as an adjuvant to traditional cancer therapies. “Crops to the Clinic” is a theme that describes our research approach and represents a unique asset of the university. The Ohio State University is one of only a handful of land-grant universities in the United States with a strong emphasis on both agriculture and medicine, and it is the only known university that has developed this type of unique collaboration.
Potential Summer Projects: Workings on various aspects of sustainable packaging, including development of bioplastics, compostable coatings and adhesives
Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering
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Horticulture and Crop Sciences
David Francis (Wooster)
Domestication & Evolution of the Tomato - Nutritional Quality, Nutritional Quality Plant Breeding and Genetics
Dr. Francis is from Southern California. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Pomona College where an undergraduate research experience in “Food, Land and Power” introduced him to plant breeding. He received his PhD in Genetics from the University of California at Davis where he was supported by a McKnight Foundation fellowship focused on plant-microbe interactions. At The Ohio State University his team develops technology and populations to support breeding of processing tomato. He has long been motivated by problems at the interface between applied and basic science and hopes to see his group’s work reach farmers.
Potential Summer Projects:
- Candidate genes affecting fruit quality (strawberry or tomato). Such projects involve a mix of laboratory work (DNA extraction, PCR amplification), analysis (bioinformatics, statistical geneomics), and hands-on plant work in greenhouse and field and are designed to match genetic variation with plant traits.
- Candidate genes affecting disease resistance (see above for approach)
Fernanda Krupek (Wooster)
Urban Food Systems
Through her research, Dr. Krupek hopes to establish an integrated program that yields a greater understanding of the capacity to positively influence horticultural food production systems in urban and urbanizing environments and communities in the Midwest-Great Lakes region. In her extension efforts she hopes to engage with farmers, non-profit organizations, stakeholders, schools, and centers to advance the science and practice of urban food systems horticulture.
Potential Summer Projects: The Urban Food Innovation's Team seeks to cultivate horticultural food production systems serving urban and regional markets that are productive and nutritive, resource-use efficient, economically viable, and socially responsible. By joining our team, students are committing to pursue research, perform quality experiments, and critically analyze data to further the team's knowledge about urban agriculture. In this role, students are committing to foster and support their personal and professional growth so that they are better suited to meet their career and life goals. The team is passionate about building a more innovative local food system that embodies agroecological principles. We aim to achieve this through our shared values - treating others and ourselves with respect and empathy, as well as practicing curiosity and innovation. We seek to enable this through a work environment that includes communication, proactivity, collaboration, and resourcefulness. Currently, there are four main areas of research students could consider by joining our team:
- Cropping system diversification (such as integrating cut flower and vegetable production; ethnic vegetables and niche food crops)
- Best management practices to improve production system efficiency, economic opportunity, and climate change resilience (such as water and nutrient management and soil health management in reduced tillage systems)
- Crop production in protected cultivation (such as food production under high and low tunnel structures)
- Workforce Development (such as efforts to understand how student Farm Programs can support accessible and impactful undergraduate education promoting agri-food systems thinking and urban agricultural career pathways)
Eugene Law (Columbus)
Weed Ecology
Dr. Law's research focuses on precision integrated weed management, which he sums up using an anaphora similar to the 4Rs of nutrient management: weed management is most efficient and effective when you use the right tool (chemical, mechanical, biological, cultural, preventative), at the right intensity, the right time, and the right place. Right now he is involved in several ongoing projects:
- Understanding the combined influence of local weather patterns, crop rotation, cover cropping, and herbicide programs on cover crop performance, weed population dynamics, and water management in soybean production systems
- Adapting harvest weed seed control technology (a variety of methods that reduce or eliminate seed from weeds that survive to maturity from being returned to the soil seedbank at harvest) developed in Australia to US cropping systems
- Developing computer-vision tools for automated detection, mapping, and monitoring of weed populations. There are a number of projects in this area, including developing datasets to train artificial intelligence to recognize individual weed and crop species, engineering and calibrating camera systems, and deploying the systems and evaluating their performance as well as the end-user experience so that they can be iteratively refined and applied across a broad range of use cases.
Potential Summer Projects:
- Developing environmentally and economically sustainable, non-chemical integrated weed management tactics including cover crops, flame-weeding, and harvest weed seed control.
- Image data collection for the National Agricultural Image Repository, a large dataset being developed primarily to train deep learning (artificial intelligence) models for crop and weed identification, among other computer vision applications.
- Determining seedling emergence windows for common and problematic weed species of Ohio, allowing development of predictive models to inform management decision-making.
- Improving methods of weed seedbank quantification through image analysis and DNA barcoding.
Yu Ma (Columbus)
Genetics, molecular plant breeding, bioinformatics, and crop germplasm diversity on ornamental plant species
Dr. Ma is the Director of the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center (OPGC) and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at the Ohio State University. Prior to joining OSU, she was an Assistant Research Professor at Washington State University. She obtained her M.S. degree from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Ph.D. degree from the Washington State University. Her research is centered on the fields of genetics, genomics and breeding on ornamental plants. Through implementing multi-omics technologies, she is interested in developing genetics and genomics resources and tools to enable the development of aesthetics-enhanced, disease-resistant, and climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable ornamental plants, as well as enhancing the scientific knowledge of germplasm collections at OPGC.
Potential Summer Projects:
- This research will study cytological mechanism on ornamental crops, with a goal of enhancing our understanding of genetic and chromosomal components, and their implications for breeding and preservation efforts.
- This project will evaluate the potential of ornamental species as cut flower options. Students will expand their knowledge and gain hand-on skills on evaluating horticultural traits.
- This project will focus on mutation breeding to develop desirable traits in ornamental plants. Students will explore the use of physical and chemical mutagens to induce genetic variation in selected ornamental species.
Leah McHale (Columbus)
Soybean Breeding. Chile Pepper & Soybean Genetics (particularly Disease Resistance & Quality)
Dr. Leah McHale leads a soybean breeding program. Research in the McHale lab focuses on the characterization and manipulation of natural variation occurring in crop plants, primarily soybean and chile peppers. Specifically, the research program is involved in the identification of genes conferring disease resistance, yield, and quality traits and, in soybean, examining how best to integrate these alleles for the development of improved varieties. To accomplish this, new technologies and a cross-disciplinary approach are exploited, which includes genetics and genomics, evolution, bioinformatics, and plant pathology. Particular interests are the study of breeding methodologies, disease resistance, domestication and agronomic traits for both the development of improved cultivars and evolutionary and molecular plant-pest interactions studies.
Potential Summer Projects: During summer 2025, an undergraduate researcher in our laboratory will be working in studying genetic resistance to the pathogen Phytophthora sojae in soybean varieties. Working alongside graduate students, the researcher will have opportunities to work in the field, greenhouse, laboratory and computational environments. In the field, we will be evaluating the effectiveness of newly identified resistance genes as we develop a disease nursery. We will confirm the effectiveness these genes in greenhouse-based disease assays and apply molecular markers to assist in the development of new soybean varieties that are improved with combinations of these new resistance traits.
Kristin L. Mercer (Columbus)
Ecology & evolution of plants in agricultural systems. Crop diversity - Corn & Chile Pepper
The Mercer Lab studies plant evolutionary ecology within agricultural systems. Of primary focus are the ways ecological processes and evolutionary forces influence important issues in agricultural sustainability, such as conservation of crop genetic resources and climate change adaptation. Dr. Mercer's current research includes: gaining a better understanding of diversity of chili peppers in Mexico and understanding the abiotic factors. They’re using the genetic data to understand patterns of diversity in chili peppers – they’ll then use that data to see where in the genome there's been selection over time – they may even find improved tolerance to drought!
Potential Summer Projects: Nitrogen fixation in maize Did you know that, unlike most grasses, maize has a unique ability to fix nitrogen through its interaction with soil microbes? This project investigates the timing of mucilage production, nitrogen uptake, and patterns of biological nitrogen fixation in maize. The student will engage in field preparation, maintenance, and data collection, as well as data analysis to uncover how mucilage supports nitrogen fixation. This research provides hands-on experience in agricultural sustainability and plant ecology, contributing to strategies for enhancing crop productivity.
Garrett Owen (Columbus)
Sustainable Greenhouse & Nursery Systems
In 2023, Dr. Owen became an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Greenhouse and Nursery Production Systems in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at The Ohio State University. His responsibilities are in floriculture and nursery crop production. His major program initiatives include floriculture crop production, plant nutrition and growth regulation, nutritional monitoring, and crop diagnostics. He is also a leader and contributor of two national Extension initiatives – e-GRO (Electronic Grower Resources Online; www.e-gro.org) and Fert, Dirt, and Squirt (Nutritional Monitoring of Greenhouse Crops; https://fertdirtsquirt.org).
Potential Summer Projects:
- Characterizing nutrient deficiencies in CEA crops.
- Evaluating ethephon foliar sprays, sprenches, and substrate drenches to control growth and develop of pansy.
- Creating an online educational platform for hydroponic leafy green education.
Florence Sessoms (Wooster)
Plant Microbe Interaction, Mycorrhizae, Biological Nitrification Inhibition
Dr. Sessoms's research program studies the relationship between plant roots, mycorrhizae establishment, and biological nitrification inhibition in turfgrass and other agricultural crops. She started to work with mycorrhizal fungi during her PhD in Switzerland. It was eye-opening to learn how these tiny and unseen soil organisms can have such an impact on plants and soil health. Later in her career, she understood we could not achieve better ecosystems sustainability and resilience by only relying on plant breeding and focusing only on above plant biomass. We need to have a better understanding of the soil community and take full advantage of its many benefits for the plants. The rhizosphere, its multitude of organisms, and their interactions in the soil and with the plants can lead to fantastic discoveries and reach this goal of improved ecosystem resilience and sustainability, especially in this changing world.
Potential Summer Projects: The Sessoms Lab is currently engaged in multiple exciting projects aimed at enhancing plant health through plant-microbe interactions. They are seeking undergraduate students to participate in these research endeavors and gain hands-on experience in laboratory experiments, greenhouse plant management, controlled environmental research, and field studies. Below are two key projects that students can join:
- Sunchoke Project. In this project, students will be involved in planting and managing several modern cultivars of Jerusalem artichoke (Sunchoke), a native North American species known for producing nutritious tubers. Students will work with raised beds and field conditions to assess the effects of different soil amendments. These amendments include Mycorrhizal fungi Free-living nitrogen fixers and Humates. The goal is to evaluate whether these soil treatments can improve the growth and health of Sunchoke plants. This project will provide students with experience in plant cultivation, soil management, and experimentation in both controlled and natural field environments.
- Mycorrhizal Colonization of Turfgrass Species. This project focuses on the relationship between turfgrass species and mycorrhizal fungi. While various fungal inoculants are used in turfgrass management, little is known about their ability to colonize and persist in different turfgrass species. Students involved in this project will investigate fungal presence and persistence in various turfgrass species and examine how different management practices affect the colonization of these grasses by mycorrhizal fungi. This project offers a unique opportunity to gain experience in microbial ecology, plant-fungal interactions, and turfgrass management, all of which are essential for improving soil health and plant growth in turf environments. Opportunities for Students:
- Gain expertise in laboratory and fieldwork techniques
- Learn about the role of soil microbes in plant health
- Manage greenhouse and field-based experiments
- Contribute to ongoing research aimed at improving agricultural practices and sustainable land management
- Students in these projects will develop valuable skills for future careers in plant biology, environmental science, agriculture, and ecological research.
Ram Yadav (Wooster)
Specialty Crop Weed Science & Management
Dr. Yadav grew up on a small family farm, where weeds were a constant part of their lives. He has always been fascinated by the crop-weed interactions and how weeds adapt to crop production practices and continue to proliferate despite growers’ efforts to manage them. Using diversified weed management strategies, which have been long overdue because of herbicide dominance, is the key to keeping weeds in check. Herbicide use in specialty crop production is limited by default; hence, it provides ample opportunities to develop diverse weed management strategies based on improved knowledge of weed biology and ecology.
Currently, Dr. Yadav plans to visit specialty crop stakeholders on various occasions across the state, conduct a statewide survey of specialty crop growers for their weed management concerns and priorities, and help update the Midwestern fruits and vegetable production guides. He also plans on testing new herbicide products for specialty crops by working with IR-4 and chemical industries and evaluating non-chemical weed control tactics such as stale seedbed, cover crops, targeted tillage, weed electrocution, and autonomous weeders.
Potential Summer Projects:
- Herbicide resistance management in specialty crops.
- Optimizing cover crop use for vegetable weed management.
- Evaluating different weed control practices on muck soils.
Plant Pathology
Soledad Benitez Ponce (Wooster)
Plant microbiome research; beneficial plant-microbe interactions; microbial ecology
Dr. Benitez Ponce and her team study plant-associated bacteria, and communities of other microorganisms, within agricultural systems. The team focuses on two production systems of relevance to Ohio agriculture, corn and soybean and hydroponic leafy greens. Specifically, they answer questions related to 1) management effects on plant-associated microbial communities and their relationships with plant health; 2) dynamics of microbiome establishment, and c) microbe-microbe interactions. As part of this research, the team aims to contribute with knowledge that can increase our ability to manage microorganisms in agricultural systems, through application of microbial inoculants or system manipulation. To this extent, her laboratory applies high throughput molecular techniques and bioinformatic approaches to characterize the diversity and function of microbial communities in plants and the environment in which they grow. They combine this with field and greenhouse experimentation, on-farm surveys, and single isolate characterization.
Potential Summer Projects:
- Characterization of biofilms in hydroponic production systems
- Measuring microbial activity and function in agricultural systems
- In planta assays to evaluate biological control efficacy against plant pathogens
- Genome characteristics of biological control agents against plant pathogens
Enrico Bonello (Columbus)
Professor, Molecular and Chemical Ecology of Trees
Dr. Bonello's research interests range from understanding the molecular mechanisms of tree-pathogen interactions to ways to harness such knowledge to improve forest health management. In the last few years, Dr. Bonello has developed an intense interest in advocating for the fundamental role of tree resistance research and deployment for the rational management of invasive tree pathogens and pests and, as an important derivation, for a radical change in how government handles management of invasive tree pathogens and pests. This activity has resulted in the formulation of coherent plans for the end-to-end management of such scourges, from how to handle potential sources of pests abroad to the best approaches to restore affected ecosystems.
Potential Summer Projects: Biology and ecology of beech leaf disease
Feng Qu (Wooster)
Molecular plant virology, plant resistance
Dr. Qu's research areas include:
- Plant antiviral defenses, including RNA silencing and resistance gene-mediated defense
- Interactions between different plant gene products (e.g. DCLs, AGOs, and RDRs)
- Engineering virus resistance in crop plants by enhancing antiviral RNA silencing
- Mechanism of viral cross protection
Potential Summer Projects: Viruses Virus evolution Plant functional genomics
Francesca Rotondo (Wooster)
Bacterial diseases of tomato
Dr. Francesca Rotondo is the Program Director of the OSU C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic on the CFAES Wooster Campus. The Clinic offers a broad spectrum of testing for residential and commercial clients to identify pests and cultural/environmental related plant health issues.
Potential Summer Projects: Characterization of fungal strains affecting strawberries. Fungicide sensitivity testing for different fungal pathogens affecting vegetable and fruit crops.
Ye Xia (Columbus)
Biochemistry of Plant Pathogenesis and Immunity
Dr. Xia's research interests are focused on the biochemical, genetic, and molecular mechanisms as well as application of plant disease resistance and beneficial plant-microbe/microbiome interactions to improve plant health and yield for sustainable agriculture. One area includes plant surface (cell wall, stomata, and cuticle) mediated plant immunity against diverse pathogens and the other looks at improvement of plant immunity and yield by beneficial microbes from phytobiome.
Potential Summer Projects: The project study will focus on the mechanisms and applications of beneficial microbes in enhancing plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Integrated approaches, including molecular, genetic, microscopy, and physiological methods, will be utilized.
Environment and Natural Resources
Konrad Dabrowski (Columbus)
Aquaculture, Nutrition, Early Life History, Fish, Genetics
Dr. Dabrowski's current research interests concentrate on possible links between nutrition and genetics primarily freshwater fish, walleye, yellow perch, carp and hybrids although Atlantic salmon has become most recently the species that also attracts a lot of attention in the North central region of the US. His research aims to better understand the mechanisms governing sex differentiation, viability, and performance in the industrial setting of hybrids and polyploids. Recommendation of the American Academy of Science stipulates that culture of fish as human food should include sterility as part of domestication to minimize or eliminate introgression and potential negative effects on wild fish stocks and general fish species diversity.
Potential Summer Projects: Polyploidy and hybridization of fish
OSU EXTENSION
Ingrid Richards Adams (Columbus)
Food, Health, and Human Behavior
Dr. Richards Adams is a part of Ohio State University Extension's Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) which serves thousands of people throughout Ohio every year. Their team of FCS professionals delivers the highest quality, research-based educational programs focused on building Healthy People, Healthy Finances and Healthy Relationships. Dr. Richards Adams's research interest and expertise includes:
- Translational research (Dissemination and Implementation studies)
- Development and evaluation of evidence-based curricula related to hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and nutrition
- Critical thinking model of behavior change
- Research Interest and Expertise
- Examination of diet quality in low-income families
- Health Disparity
Potential Summer Projects:
- Examination of diet quality in low-income families.
- Food insecurity and feeding decisions of colleges students with children 6-24 months old