People

Faculty

Kyaw Aung
- Associate Professor
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
kaung@iastate.edu
Hua Bai
- Professor
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Diane Bassham

Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Thomas Baum

Department
- Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology
Gwyn Beattie

Department
- Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology
Josh Beck

Department
- Biomedical Sciences
Donald Beitz

Department
- Animal Science
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
Madan Bhattacharyya

Department
- Agronomy
Bradley Blitvich

Department
- Veterinary Microbiology, & Preventive Medicine
Byron Brehm-Stecher

Department
- Food Science & Human Nutrition
Joaquin Caceres
- Assistant Professor
Department
- Veterinary Microbiology, & Preventive Medicine
jcaceres@iastate.edu
Clyde Campbell

Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Michael Cho

Department
- Biomedical Sciences
Peter Clark

Department
- Food Science & Human Nutrition
Raquel Espin Palazon
- Associate Professor
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Jeffrey Essner

Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Hongqing Guo

Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Mohan Gupta

Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Heeun Jang
- Assistant Professor
Department
- Biomedical Sciences
hjang@iastate.edu
Kristen Johansen

Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
Russell Jurenka

Department
- Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology
Ping Kang
- Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
pkang@iastate.edu
Aileen Keating

Department
- Animal Science
Dior Kelley
- Director of Graduate Education - Chair - July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
- Associate Professor
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Michael Kimber

Department
- Biomedical Sciences
Marian Kohut
- Professor
Department
- Kinesiology
mkohut@iastate.edu
Sudhir Kumar
- Assistant Professor
Department
- Biomedical Sciences
sudhirk@iastate.edu
Dennis Lavrov

Department
- Ecology, Evolution, & Organismal Biology
Gustavo MacIntosh

Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
Richard Martin

Department
- Biomedical Sciences
Greg Martin
- Assistant Professor
Department
- Biomedical Sciences
martingm@iastate.edu
Maura McGrail

Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Elizabeth McNeill

Department
- Food Science & Human Nutrition
W. Allen Miller
- Executive Committee
Department
- Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology
Cathy Miller
- Department Chair
Department
- Veterinary Microbiology, & Preventive Medicine
Walter Moss

Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
Alan Myers

Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
Marit Nilsen-Hamilton

Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
Alejandro Olmedo Velarde
- Assistant Professor
Department
- Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology
aolmedov@iastate.edu
Reuben Peters

Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
Jo Anne Powell-Coffman

Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Julien Roche

Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
Jason Ross
- Department Chair, Lloyd Anderson Endowed Professor in Physiology
Department
- Animal Science
Matthew Rowling

Department
- Food Science & Human Nutrition
Randy Sacco

Department
- Veterinary Microbiology, & Preventive Medicine
Dipali Sashital
- Associate Chair - July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
Kevin Schalinske

Department
- Food Science & Human Nutrition
Pat Schnable

Department
- Agronomy
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Ian Schneider

Department
- Chemical & Biological Engineering
Joshua Selsby

Department
- Animal Science
Zengyi Shao
- Professor
Department
- Chemical & Biological Engineering
zyshao@iastate.edu
Yeon-Kyun Shin

Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
Michael Shogren-Knaak

Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
Ravindra Singh
- Executive Committee
Department
- Biomedical Sciences
Ryan Smith

Department
- Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology
Joshua Strable
- Assistant Professor
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
strable@iastate.edu
Thimmasettapp Thippeswamy
- Professor
Department
- Biomedical Sciences
tswamy@iastate.edu
Christopher Tuggle

Department
- Animal Science
Geetu Tuteja
- Professor
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
geetu@iastate.edu
David Verhoeven

Department
- Veterinary Microbiology, & Preventive Medicine
Erik Vollbrecht

Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Justin Walley

Department
- Plant Pathology
Jing Wang
- Assistant Professor
Department
- Chemical & Biological Engineering
jwang1@iastate.edu
Fengrong Wang
- Assistant Professor
Department
- Biomedical Sciences
frwang@iastate.edu
Kan Wang

Department
- Agronomy
Steven Whitham
- Professor and Co-Director of the Iowa Soybean Research Center
Department
- Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology
swhitham@iastate.edu
Jie Xu
- Assistant Professor
Department
- Biomedical Sciences
jiexu@iastate.edu
Marna Yandeau-Nelson
- Professor
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Yang Yang
- Associate Professor
Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
yan9yang@iastate.edu
Yanhai Yin

Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
Olga Zabotina

Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
Qijing Zhang

Department
- Veterinary Microbiology, & Preventive Medicine

Chair

Dior Kelley
- Director of Graduate Education - Chair - July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
- Associate Professor
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology

Associate Chair

Dipali Sashital
- Associate Chair - July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028
Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology

Supervisory Committee

W. Allen Miller
- Executive Committee
Department
- Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology
Ravindra Singh
- Executive Committee
Department
- Biomedical Sciences

Administration

Carla Harris
- Graduate Student Services Specialist II
charris@iastate.edu
W. Allen Miller
- Executive Committee
Department
- Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology
Ravindra Singh
- Executive Committee
Department
- Biomedical Sciences

Staff

Carla Harris
- Graduate Student Services Specialist II
charris@iastate.edu

Graduate Students

Shamima Afrose
- Graduate Student - Dr. Jing Wang's Lab
Department
- Chemical & Biological Engineering
shamima@iastate.edu
Hasina Akhter
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Marit Nilsen-Hamilton
Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
hasina@iastate.edu
Rodolfo Calderon
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Clyde Campbell
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
rodolfoc@iastate.edu
Jacinta Correia
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Hua Bai
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
jacintac@iastate.edu
Vedika Desai
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Zengyi Shao
Department
- Chemical & Biological Engineering
vedikaab@iastate.edu
Shuvra Dutta
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Raquel Espin-Palazon
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
shuvra@iastate.edu
Sai Sashyanth Ganesan
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Joshua Beck
Department
- Biomedical Sciences
sash2000@iastate.edu
Sajani Adithya Gaspe Gaspe Mudiyanselage
- Graduate Student - Dr. Raquel Espin-Palazon
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
sajani@iastate.edu
Md Robiul Hasan
- Graduate Student - Dr. Marit Nilsen-Hamilton
Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
hasanmr@iastate.edu
Hia Kalita
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Alejandro Olmedo-Velarde
Department
- Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology
hkalita@iastate.edu
Emma Kleinschrodt
- Graduate Assistant
emkleins@iastate.edu
Bhavi Kudu
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Kristen Johansen
Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
bjkudu06@iastate.edu
Min Jung Kwon
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Jie Xu
Department
- Biomedical Sciences
minjungk@iastate.edu
Madison Lane
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Marna Yandeau-Nelson
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
mlane@iastate.edu
Muqiu Li
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Hua Bai
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
lmq1009@iastate.edu
Ruiqi Liu
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Hua Bai
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
rqliu@iastate.edu
Ashmita Mainali
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Zhengyi Shao
Department
- Chemical & Biological Engineering
amainali@iastate.edu
Raymond Mugenyi
- Graduate Student - Dr. Ryan Smith
Department
- Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology
rmugenyi@iastate.edu
Fred Namanda
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Ian Schneider
Department
- Chemical & Biological Engineering
fred20@iastate.edu
Lakshmi Priya Narasimhan
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Yang Yang
Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
nlpriya@iastate.edu
Connor O'Shea
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Josh Beck
Department
- Biomedical Sciences
cjoshea@iastate.edu
Anh Pham
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Ping Kang and Dr. Hua Bai
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
anhpham@iastate.edu
Hieu Pham
- Graduate Assistant
hieupham@iastate.edu
Akshara Raju
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Dipa Sashital
Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
aksharar@iastate.edu
Aditya Roshan
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Marian Kohut
Department
- Kinesiology
aditya24@iastate.edu
Sourav Roy
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Marit Nilsen-Hamilton
Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
souravoy@iastate.edu
Momi Roy
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Marit Nilsen-Hamilton
Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
momiroy@iastate.edu
Nesreen Essamaldin H Sedeek
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Rueben Peters
Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
nesedeek@iastate.edu
Promit Sinha Roy
- Graduate Research Assistant - Dr. Marian Kohut
Department
- Kinesiology
promitsr@iastate.edu
Jahanara Sonia
- Graduate Research Assistant - Dr. W. Allen Miller
Department
- Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology
jsonia@iastate.edu
Guhaprasad Sundaresan
- Graduate Assistant
gsundare@iastate.edu
Michelle Thayer
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Marit Nilsen-Hamilton
Department
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Molecular Biology
mlthayer@iastate.edu
Tamanna Islam Toma
- Graduate Student - Dr. Raquel Espin-Palazon
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
toma25@iastate.edu
Astha Tuladhar
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Jeff Essner
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
tuladhar@iastate.edu
Masuma Khatun Usha
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Raquel Espin-Palazon
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
musha@iastate.edu
Viraaj Vishnu Prasad
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Elizabeth McNeill
Department
- Food Science & Human Nutrition
viraajv@iastate.edu
Zitong Xiong
- Graduate Student - Dr. Hua Bai
Department
- Genetics, Development, & Cell Biology
zitong@iastate.edu
Yuwei Zhang
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Jing Wang
Department
- Chemical & Biological Engineering
yuwei@iastate.edu
Alex Zosel
- Graduate Assistant - Dr. Fengrong Wang
Department
- Biomedical Sciences
azosel@iastate.edu