Five MPS students accepted to PBHS graduate training program
Five Molecular Plant Sciences (MPS) graduate students have been accepted to the Plant Biotechnology for Health and Sustainability (PBHS) Graduate Training Program. This two-year program provides training and career opportunities for students who are interested in research areas related to plant biotechnology.
“Many of the MPS students are also members of the PBHS community, which provides our students with more exposures to the applied aspects of plant molecular science and great career opportunities in industry,” said Jianping Hu, director of the MPS program.
Research in plant biotechnology looks at how plants can be adapted to survive in different environments and conditions.
“The mission of PBHS aligns seamlessly with the values that I want my work to contribute towards: Making crop-based agriculture more lucrative for producers, healthier for consumers and more sustainable for the planet,” said Luke Strickland, an MPS graduate student joining the program this year.
In addition to providing students with funding for their graduate studies, the program provides coursework and training experiences. Students are required to complete an internship and take two classes in the field of plant biotechnology. They also assist in organizing the annual PBHS symposium.
“I attended the majority of the PBHS symposium this past fall which further solidified my interest in the program,” said Angel McKay Whiteman, an MPS graduate student and new edition to the PBHS program. “I found it to be a great opportunity to learn about industry and research of high interest to me, network, and have fun with like-minded peers.”
The five MPS students accepted are as follows:
- Max Harman, Genetics and Genome Sciences, Walker lab
- Isaiah Kaufman, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hsu lab
- George Kusi-Appiah, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Strenkert lab
- Angel McKay Whiteman, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hamberger lab
- Luke Strickland, Genetics and Genomics Sciences, Jiang lab
Images, left to right: Max Harman (credit: Kara Headley), Isaiah Kaufman (credit:
Kara Headley), George Kusi-Appiah (courtesy photo), Luke Strickland (credit: Kara
Headley), Angel McKay Whiteman (courtesy photo)
Article by Kara Headley
