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Bita Amiri is a doctoral student in the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology in Louise-Marie Dandurand’s potato cyst nematode program. She received her master’s degree from the University of Idaho in Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in 2013. She started her career as a research specialist in the Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) program in 2014. Now, in her graduate career, her research focuses on the mechanisms by which the regulated potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida overcomes in potato. Globodera pallida, a quarantine pest in the U.S., is a serious threat to potato production worldwide and can cause up to 80% yield loss. One of the most effective control measures is the use of resistant potato varieties. However, russet type potatoes, which are the primary type of potato grown in Idaho and the northwest are susceptible to PCN. Currently, there are no commercially accepted varieties in the U.S. with PCN resistance. Continuous use of resistant varieties leads to erosion of resistance, and possible development of new pathotypes of the pest. The aim of her project is to identify the behavior, fitness and aggressiveness of PCN progeny from a resistant host as well as characterize life-history traits of nematodes during this transition.

Kelsey Bryant is a postdoctoral researcher working with Associate Professor Tara Hudiburg in the Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences. She is currently investigating the physiological mechanisms involved during tree recovery after wildfire and drought, as well as species-specific responses to forest thinning. Overall, she is combining field-based observational and experimental approaches to comprehensively measure whole-tree responses in mature conifers.

Jack Creagh is a doctoral student in Professor Paul Rowley's lab in the Department of Biological Sciences. He received his bachelor's in science from Pacific University in 2020. Jack utilizes computational and biological techniques to study the mechanism of action of killer toxins. These antifungal proteins are produced by yeast as a form of niche competition and are widespread across diverse yeast species. Killer toxins may provide applications for controlling fungal infections and contaminations in clinical and fermentative settings.

Chloe Josefson is an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow working with Amy Skibiel in the Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences at the University of Idaho. She received her doctorate in biological sciences in 2020 from Auburn University. Her research takes a female-centered perspective to investigate impact of the maternal environment on lactation performance and the implications of such changes on offspring development.

Axel is a senior at the University of Idaho studying environmental science policy, planning and management. Their interest in research was identified while working on the student logging crew as a skidder operator for the university's experimental forest. They aim to improve the health and safety of the logging industry, as logging is frequently surveyed as the most dangerous profession in the country. By comparing different kinds of logging equipment, Axel hopes to find ways to mitigate bodily stress and ergonomic exposure to machine operators. In the future, they hope to expand this study to include factors like soil compaction and log volume per load. Axel is continuing graduate school at the University of Idaho and is pursuing a doctorate in natural resources.