Plant Biology graduate students have gone on to exciting careers in academia, industry and other professional areas. Below is a partial listing of our graduates from the last five years and their current positions, as known:

Shuang Wu, PhD, defended Sept. 2009. Degree expected - Feb 2010
Research: "Separase: linking cell division and root morphology in Arabidopsis"
Advisor: Dr. Tobias Baskin
Education: MS in Biology, 2003, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC)
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Gallagher Lab, UPenn

Heng-Hsuan Chu, PhD, defended Sept. 2009. Degree expected - Feb 2010
Research: "Analyses of Arabidopsis Yellow Stripe-Like (YSL) Family of Metal Transporters"
Advisor: Dr. Elsbeth Walker
Education: BS in Botany, 2001, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
Current position: Postdoctoral fellow, Walker Lab, UMass Amherst

Jeff Chiecko, MS, Sept 2009
Research: "Investigating the role of YSLs in Oryza sativa and Arabidopsis thaliana through RT-PCR and Yeast Functional Complementation"
Advisor: Dr. Elsbeth Walker
Education: BS in Electrical Engineering, 1999, UMass Amherst
Current position with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Jeonghwa Lee, PhD, Sept 2009
Research: "The role of TOC receptor interactions in controlling protein import into chloroplasts"
Advisor: Dr. Danny Schnell
Education: MS in Biological science, 2002, Seoul National University

Mini Aggarwal, MS, Sept 2009
Research: "Functional Analysis of Receptor-Like Kinases in Pollen-Pistil Interactions in Arabidopsis thaliana"
Research advisor: Dr. Alice Cheung
Education:MS in Botany, Panjab University-Chandigarh, India

Julie Anna Ritchie, MS, Feb. 2009
Advisor: Dr. Magdalena Bezanilla
Research: "Analysis of Myosin VIII Function in the Moss Physcomitrella patens"
Education: BS in Biology, 2005, SUNY Plattsburgh
Current position: Research associate, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Erin Mostoller, MS, September 2008
Advisor: Dr. Robin Harrington
Research: "Site Characteristics and Plant Invasion: Light Limitation of Invasive Establishment and Impacts of Elaeagnus umbellata on soil nitrogen availability and co-occuring species"
Education: BS in Environmental and Natural Resources, 2004, Clemson University

N. Ezekiel (Zeke) Nims, PhD, May 2008
Advisor: Dr. Elsbeth Walker
Research: "Transcriptional analysis and metabolic profiling of Taxol-producing Taxus cell cultures."
Education: BA in Biology, 2000, Ithaca College
Current position: Postdoctoral fellow, MIT, O'Connor Lab

Natalie Feliciano, MS, May 2008
Advisor: Dr. Jill Miller, Amherst College
Research: "Self-incompatibility and patterns of S-RNase evolution in African Lycium"
Education: BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2002, University of Rochester
Current position: Lab Manager, Ahituv Lab, UCSF

Caleb Rounds, PhD, Sept 2007
Advisor: Dr. Danny Schnell
Research: "Assembly of structurally and functionally distinct protein import translocons in chloroplasts"
Education: MA in English, 1995, Brown University
Current position: Postdoctoral fellow, UMass Amherst, Hepler Lab

Kristen Hladun, MS, Feb 2007
Advisor: Dr. Lynn Adler
Research: "Effects of perimeter trap crop pollen, herbivory and pollination on reproduction and plant performance in Cucurbita moschata"
Education: BA in Biology, 1999, Boston University
Current position: PhD candidate, Entomology, UC Riverside

Alenka Lovy Wheeler, PhD, May 2006
Advisor: Dr. Peter Hepler
Research: "Actin organization and activity in lily pollen tube growth: a role for pH".
Education: Education: MS in Plant Physiology, 1999, University of Washington, Pullman.
Current position: Research Assistant Professor & Manager, Tufts/NEMC Imaging Facility

Jessica Calio Dodge, MS, Feb 2005
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Normanly
Research: "The role of temperature in redundant auxin biosynthesis pathway utilization in Arabidopsis thaliana."
Education: BS in Plant Sciences, 2003, University of Arizona
Current position: Associate Research Scientist II, Bristol-Myers Squibb

Candida Nibau, PhD, Sept 2005
Advisor: Dr. Alice Cheung
Research: Localization and functional characterization of Arac7, an Arabidopsis Rac-like small GTPase
Education: "Licenciatura" in Biology, 1999, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
Current position: Research technician- Aberystwyth University, UK

Kathleen Wilsen Farquharson, PhD, Feb 2005
Advisor: Dr. Peter Hepler
Research: "Monitoring the actin cytoskeleton and calcium dynamics in growing pollen tubes"
Education: MSc in Genetics, 1999, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
Current position: Science Editor at The Plant Cell, American Society of Plant Biologists (ASCB)

Elizabeth Burguieres, MS, Sept 2004
Advisor: Dr. Kalidas Shetty
Research: "Effect of folic acid and vitamin C on phenolic-linked seed vigor response and applications for functional foods"
Education: BS in Biology, 2001, University of Maryland, College Park
Current position: Middle school Biology teacher - applying for medical school for 2009

Donna Tremonte, MS, Sept 2004
Advisor: Dr. Robin Harrington
Research: "The effects of Phragmites australis (Common reed) on inorganic nitrogen pools in interdunal swales on Cape Cod"
Education: BA in Environmental Science, 1998, Boston University
Current position: Assistant Editor, Harvard Papers in Botany; Web content manager at Harvard University Herbaria

Abbey Pierson, MS, Feb 2004
Advisor: Dr. Elsbeth Walker
Research: "Regulation and mechanism of iron acquisition in Zea mays"
Education: BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2000, University of Arizona
Current position: Biomass conversion group - Ceres, Inc.

Vahram Elagoz, PhD, Feb 2004
Advisor: Dr. William Manning
Research: "Impact of ozone damage on plant development and reproduction using several Phaseolus vulgaris L. cultivars"
Education: MS in Horticulture 1996, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Current position: Research fellow/Teaching Associate in the Environmental Sciences Program, UMass Amherst