Hear from three WSU graduate students and get a brief overview of their research at NWREC.

• Mary Steele received a BS in Biological Sciences and MS in Agriculture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Her Master’s research involved surveying and managing soilborne pathogens of strawberry. Seeing the ability of plant pathology research to provide practical solutions for growers, Mary sought to continue her plant pathology training and pursue a PhD at WSU.
• Sahil Thapa earned a BS (Hons.) in Agriculture from Punjab Agricultural University in India. He has been invested in Soil Science, working on the biofortification of crops with micronutrients and analyzing the microbiology of soil under different treatments. Sahil is currently pursing his MS in Soil Science, working on the effect of irrigation and nitrogen management on the bacterial diseases of Onion under the supervision of Dr. Gabe LaHue and co-advised by Dr. Lindsey du Toit.
• Claire Winslow is a Master’s student in the Entomology Department at WSU and graduated with a BS in Biology/Basic Medical Sciences from WSU in 2022. Originally from San Diego, CA, Claire now resides in Bellingham. Her research focuses on integrated pest management of berry crops in Washington, with the main pests of interest being the spotted wing drosophila and blueberry aphids.