Former students and employees
Inducted 2022
Ryan Sartor, now Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, NCSU
Fernando Samayoa, now Research Scientist, Inari, West Lafayette, IN
Will Pequigney, now math teacher in Wake County Public Schools
Inducted 2021
Anna Rogers (Ph.D.), now a data scientist at Bayer
Zach Allen (research assistant), now MS student with Ramsey Lewis in Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, NCSU
Inducted 2020
Will Voelker (research assistant) – graduated with BS in Plant Science into the pandemic, now a Ph.D. student at UNC Charlotte in crop bioinformatics.
Kendra Jones (research assistant)
Inducted 2018
Sandy Ramsey (research assistant), now an M.S. student in Crop and Soil Sciences, working with Ramon Leon.
Lais Bastos Martins (M.S. student co-advised with Peter Balint-Kurti), now a Ph.D. student in Crop and Soil Sciences, working with Chris Reberg-Horton.
Cesar Hernandez Galeno (visiting scholar), Ph.D. student at Colegio de Postgraduados and maize breeder, INIFAP, Mexico
Thiago Marino (Ph.D. student), soybean breeder with Bayer, Brazil
Jeff Dunne (post-doc), now Assistant Professor, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, NCSU
Ryan Andres (post-doc), now Research Assistant Professor, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, NCSU
Dusan Stanisavljevic (visiting scientist), corn breeder at Plant Breeding Institute, Novi Sad, Serbia
Abraham Corona (visiting scholar), completed Ph.D. at Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
Inducted 2017
Shang Xue (Ph.D. student) – now Principal Bioinformatics Scientist at Roche
Henrique Senhorinho (visiting Ph.D. student) – returned to Brazil. Passed away 2017, we are very saddened by the loss of Henrique, a wonderful scientist and person.
Inducted 2016
Yang Bian (Ph.D. student) – now research scientist at Monsanto Co., St. Louis, MO
Erin Burch (research assistant) – making pottery in Carrboro, NC and working at Syngenta, RTP
Wendy Buchanan (research assistant) – now working for Eurofin in RTP, NC
Sarah Davidson-Dyer (research assistant) – now working in Department of Horticulture, NCSU
Paula Gordon (research assistant) – now working in public relations in Charlotte, NC
Natalie Bohorquez (research assistant) – graduated from NCSU
Becky Zhong (research assistant) – completed her MS in plant breeding at University of Minnesota, now in Environmental Sciences Ph.D. program at UNC Chapel Hill.
Lorenzo Stagnati (visiting Ph.D. student) – completed his Ph.D. at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, now a post-doc there.
Inducted 2015
Sara Bonefas (research assistant) – now working at Bayer Crop Science in RTP, NC
Bode Olukolu (post-doc) – now Assistant Professor in Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Tiffany Jamann (post-doc) – now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois
David Horne (M.S. student) – completed his Ph.D. student in sorghum breeding at Texas A&M University, now a Phenomics Supervisor at Advanta Seeds
Estefania Castro-Vazquez (undergrad assistant) – graduated from NCSU.
Zhou Fang (post-doc) – research scientist at Syngenta, RTP, NC.
Inducted 2014
Danielle Allery (research assistant) – Biology teacher at Green Hope High School, Morrisville, NC. Still working for us every summer.
Funda Ogut (post-doc) – Research Scientist at Canadian Wood Fibre Center, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Brittany Scott (research assistant) – 4-H Ag instructor in Hertford County, NC.
Charlie Zila (M.S. and Ph.D.) – now a soybean breeder for Pioneer in Princeton, IN
Amy Goodling (undergrad assistant) – last seen harvesting sweet potatoes!
Alejandro Ledesma Miramontes (visiting scientist) – back to working as assistant corn breeder with INIFAP in Tepatitlan de Morelos, Jalisco, Mexico.
Jee Yoon Park (visiting undergrad) – back to Chungnam National University in Korea, where she is studying Crop Science
Inducted 2013
Shilpa Sood (post-doc) – joined Monsanto, St. Louis, as an Emerging Leader in Science
Dr. Philip Nguling’wa Balele (research assistant, Ph.D. in economics) – going back to Tanzania to work as an economist in the Central Bank of Tanzania. No, really, I am not making this up.
Inducted 2012
Jason Cook (post-doc) — after setting the world record for shortest post-doc (4 months!) now Assistant Research Professor in wheat breeding and genetics at University of Montana
Colt Jackson—civilly engineering bridges and stuff somewhere in NC
John Stevens (undergrad assistant) – graduated NCSU and planning to start physical therapy grad program in 2013
Luis Fernando Samayoa (visiting scholar) – back to Mision Biologica de Galicia in Spain to finish his Ph.D., now back at NCSU for more as a post-doc!
Inducted 2011
Kristen Kump (M.S. student) – working on managing human clinical trials at PRA International in Raleigh
Steve Pigozzo (research assistant) – back to Canada working on solar energy manufacturing!
Sun-Hee Wu (visiting scientist) – back to Korea as Professor of Crop Science in Chungbuk National University
Carlos Vega (undergrad assistant) – graduated from NCSU
Hsiaoyi Hung (Ph.D. student) – research scientist at Driscoll’s in California
Inducted 2010
Teagen Gray (undergrad assistant) – finished her MS in Marine Biology (shark population genetics!) at Nova Southeast University, Florida. Working in San Diego, CA.
Dalila Petro (visiting scientist) – back to her job as a yam breeder/geneticist for INRA in Guadeloupe, France
Yoon-Sup So (post-doc) – Assistant Professor at Chungbuk National University, South Korea
Bradsher Wilkins (undergrad assistant) – farming
Will Upchurch (undergrad assistant) – graduated NCSU
Xueyang (Sara) Wang (undergrad assistant)— went on to be a Baldwin Scholar at Duke University, graduating in 2014. All-time smartest shoot bagger on Team Corn (tied with Myles). Graduated from Johns Hopkins Med School! We could not be more proud!
Monica Hodge (undergrad assistant)- finishing up NCSU, looking for grad school in microbiology (not corn breeding).
Inducted 2009
Magen Eller (Ph.D. student) —now a commercial maize breeder, Monsanto Co., Lebanon, IN
Randy Wisser (post-doc) – now Associate Professor, University of Delaware Dept. of Plant and Soil Science.
Nate Coles (Ph.D. student) – now maize geneticist/breeder—Pioneer Hi-Bred, Intl., Johnston, IA
Inducted 2008
Mohammed Guedira (post-doc) – Now working on wheat genetics at NCSU, so still available to feed me excellent Moroccan dishes!
Marco Oropeza-Rosas (post-doc) – retired corn breeder in Mexico.
Jesus Garcia-Zavala (Ph.D. student) – Professor at the Colegio de Postgraduados in Texcoco, Mexico.
Candace Gatlin (undergrad assistant) – graduated NCSU
Heather Hunt (undergrad assistant) – finished her MS in environmental engineering at Pennsylvania State University.
Inducted 2007
Stella Salvo (technician) – finished her Ph.D. in plant breeding at University of Wisconsin, now at Monsanto Co.
George Van Esbroeck (temporary assistant) – George now works with the NCSU small grains breeding program, making wheat doubled haploids.
Scott Reed (undergrad assistant) – Scott decided that, if he is to ever graduate from college, he needs to stop working 50 hours per week with Team Corn. Boo hoo for us. He completed an engineering degree at East Carolina U. and now works in Norfolk, VA.
Yan Zhang (undergrad assistant) – graduated NCSU
Inducted 2006
Luciana Carlini-Garcia (post-doc) – Dr. Luciana returned to Brazil, where she is now a sugarcane geneticist with Instituto Agronomico de Campinas.
Myles Bohon (undergrad assistant) – Myles returned to his books after summer, 2006. He is the smartest guy we know (Parks Scholar). Finished his MS in Engineering at NCSU and now on his PhD program in Clean Combustion technology at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Dubai!
MC Parker (undergrad assistant) – went to UNC Wilmington, got a degree in accounting, I believe. Ran into her at Goodberry’s in Cameron Village, she said she is working at ECU as an accountant. Or something like that.
David Rhyne (USDA Biological Science Technician) – Retired after 20 years with USDA, now enjoying fishing and beer.
Leilani Robertson-Hoyt (grad student) – graduated, March, 2006 with Ph.D. in Crop Science and Plant Pathology. Leilani moved to Madison, WI and works for Monsanto in soybean breeding.
Barry Ingle (lab and field assistant) – Barry moved to Austin, TX to pursue his music career. You can catch his music online. We can say we knew him before he was famous!
Andrew Hunt (undergrad assistant) – instructor in Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Oregon State University
Inducted 2005
Tricia Bair (undergrad assistant) —graduated August, 2005, with BS in Life Sciences. Now Trish works for Syngenta, in the Research Triangle Park, NC, enjoying that fancy espresso machine of theirs!
Jennifer Tarter (grad student) — graduated, April, 2005 with Ph.D. in Crop Science. Currently, Maize Inbred Discovery Breeder, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Champaign, IL
Inducted 2004
Brooke Peterson (technician) —retired from USDA, September, 2004. Now full-time mom to young Grant and Sarah.
Terry Flint (undergrad assistant) —returned to St. Cloud State University, August 2004 after two successful consecutive seasons on the NC corn pollinating circuit. Now some kind of engineer.
Steve Szalma (postdoc) – worked for Pioneer Hi-Bred, Inc. as a corn breeder, stationed in Willmar, MN. Steve passed away in 2014 and is missed terribly. We remember his kindness, intelligence, and humor fondly.
Inducted 2003
Arturo Garcia (data management specialist) – boo-hoo, Arturo left and we are somewhat helpless, computer-wise, without him. He created our field data collection software, corntracker, which is awesome. Now he is the IT specialist at USDA-ARS in Columbia, MO.
Kim Soules (undergrad assistant) -graduated from NCSU in May, 2003, pollinated and harvested until September, 2003. Current whereabouts: unknown. A big shout out to Lil Kim!
Jill Weibel (undergrad assistant) -graduated from NCSU in May, 2003, pollinated until August, 2003. Worked as public school teacher in Mecklenberg County, NC.
Inducted 2002
Brian Hostert (grad student) —graduated from NCSU in May, 2002 with MS in Crop Science. Director of Applied Research, Driscoll’s, Watsonville, CA
Inducted 2000
Sara Lira (grad student) —graduated from Iowa State U. in May, 2000 with MS in Genetics. Obtained her Ph.D. from Iowa State and works as a research scientist for Pioneer Hi-Bred in Johnston, IA.
Cuauhtemoc Cervantes-Martinez (grad student) —graduated from Iowa State U. in February, 2000 with Ph.D. in Plant Breeding. Professor at the Universidad de Chapingo in Mexico.
Inducted 1999
Vladimir Portyanko (postdoc)—moved to Univ. of Minnesota to work as Research Associate in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, then to the Dep. of Botany.
Chuck Kremer (grad student) —graduated from Iowa State U. in June, 1999 with M.S. in Genetics. Now works in the DNA lab at the Mayo Clinic, Rocherster, MN.
Inducted 1998
Hoi Sio-Wai (grad student) —graduated from Iowa State U. with MS in Plant Breeding in June 1998. Now works for Monsanto Co, St. Louis, MO.