Mentoring the next set of researchers is one of the highlights of my job!
Amanda has two bachelor's degrees, the first in Food Science and the second in Agronomic Engineering. She is Brazilian and moved to East Lansing in August 2021. Amanda joined the Root Haus Team in February 2022 to assist Dr. Miranda Haus in managing the laboratory and assisting students in projects under development.
Sophia is a Graduate Research Assistant in the Haus Lab who is currently working towards her Master’s in Horticulture. Her thesis research examines relationships between root morphology and Fusarium Root Rot resistance in dry beans. Additional projects she is working on include testing wild bean accessions for resistance to several Fusarium spp. isolates, and establishing a baseline curve for estimation of root system size via electrical capacitance. In her free time, Sophia enjoys spending time with her dog, skateboarding, and making art.
Paige is majoring in Zoology with a focus on evolution and ecology. In the lab she is running an experiment analyzing wild bean roots after their first 10 days of growth. Paige is part of Root Haus Lab since June 2021.
Dilyn is a Root Lab member since November 2021. He is dual-majoring in Biochemistry and Genomics. He is currently working on statistical analysis of teff and maize root traits among various lines and treatments.
Katie Philipps is a double majoring in Zoology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. In the lab, she is assist the other undergraduates with their data collection, as well as general lab and greenhouse maintenance. Katie is part of Root Haus Lab since November 2021.
Rylee Hrnyak is a senior majoring in Integrative Biology and double minoring in Horticulture and Food Processing & Technology. For her research project, she is exploring a relationship between bean lineages and their nutritional values, since November 2021.
Theses Projects
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Project title: "Using Computer Image Processing to Quantify Disease Symptoms in Roots"
Logan is majoring in Plant Biology. In addition to his undergraduate theses work, he is a co-author on a wild bean screen against fungal root pathogens.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Project titles: “Where the Wild Things Are, Were, and Will Be”; “Assessing phenotypic traits of diverse wild Andean and Middle American Phaseolus vulgaris L. roots”. In addition to her thesis work, she co-authored a manuscript on Fusarium root rot.
Currently Environment and Food Security Educator for the United States Peace Corps. postponed due to Covid-19
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Project title: “Exploring a Relationship between Root Architecture and Seed Nutrition.” In addition to her thesis work, she is a co-author on a manuscript in preparation.
Currently graduate student University of Buffalo- PharmD program.