Punya Nachappa

Assistant Professor
Email: punya.nachappa@colostate.edu
Office: C028 Plant Sciences
Phone: 970-481-6882
Email: punya.nachappa@colostate.edu
Office: C028 Plant Sciences
Phone: 970-481-6882
Current Lab Members

Tessa Albrecht
Research Scientist
Tessa is also our lab manager. She is involved in a number of projects, but her focus is the molecular interaction between wheat curl mite and mite-transmitted viruses.
Research Scientist
Tessa is also our lab manager. She is involved in a number of projects, but her focus is the molecular interaction between wheat curl mite and mite-transmitted viruses.

Jacob Pitt
PhD student
B.S. (Ecosystem Science and Sustainability) Colorado State University
Email: jacob.pitt@colostate.edu
Jacob is studying the impact of plant species diversity on PVY transmission by aphid vectors.
PhD student
B.S. (Ecosystem Science and Sustainability) Colorado State University
Email: jacob.pitt@colostate.edu
Jacob is studying the impact of plant species diversity on PVY transmission by aphid vectors.

Judy Chiginsky
MS student (co-advised with Dr. Vamsi Nalam)
B.S. (Entomology) University of California Davis
Email: judy.chiginsky@colostate.edu
Judy's research is focused on the effects of beet curly top virus on its vector beet leafhopper.
MS student (co-advised with Dr. Vamsi Nalam)
B.S. (Entomology) University of California Davis
Email: judy.chiginsky@colostate.edu
Judy's research is focused on the effects of beet curly top virus on its vector beet leafhopper.

Samantha White
Will start her MS in Fall 2020
Email: slwhite@rams.colostate.edu
Sam is working on the impact of wheat curl mite microbiome on mite virulence and virus transmission.
Will start her MS in Fall 2020
Email: slwhite@rams.colostate.edu
Sam is working on the impact of wheat curl mite microbiome on mite virulence and virus transmission.
Undergraduate students
Emily Villa (Spring 2020-current)
Chris Hayes (Spring 2020-current)
Katie Langemeier (Fall 2019-current)
Emilie Carroll (Fall 2019-current)
Billy Poon Wing Bill (Fall 2018-Fall 2019)
Emily Villa (Spring 2020-current)
Chris Hayes (Spring 2020-current)
Katie Langemeier (Fall 2019-current)
Emilie Carroll (Fall 2019-current)
Billy Poon Wing Bill (Fall 2018-Fall 2019)
Former Lab Members (In my previous life at Purdue Fort Wayne)
Graduate Students
Jinlong Han (2014-2017): Ph.D., Department of Entomology and Plant Pathogy, North Carolina State University)
Christopher Culkin (2012-2014): Research scientist, Agdia Inc
Stacy Keough (2013-2015): Senior Research Scientist, Zimmer Biomet, Warsaw, Indiana
Undergraduate Students
Kedric Milholand
Dianne Nigaglioni and Carolina Hernandez: B.S., University of Puerto Rico at Cayey
Tyler Shuman
Min Jung Kim: DVM, University of Minnesota Veterinary School
Sameha Albayyari
Adam Lennon
Damini Handa: MS, Doermer school of Business, Purdue Fort Wayne
Erina Sarker
Jenna Davidson: Ph.D., University of Notre Dame
High school students
Regina Thomas (Upward Bound Pre-professional Program 2017)
Marisabel Sanchez (Upward Bound Pre-professional Program 2016)
Chengyu Bi, Homestead High School
Sanjana Sai, Homestead High School
Jinlong Han (2014-2017): Ph.D., Department of Entomology and Plant Pathogy, North Carolina State University)
Christopher Culkin (2012-2014): Research scientist, Agdia Inc
Stacy Keough (2013-2015): Senior Research Scientist, Zimmer Biomet, Warsaw, Indiana
Undergraduate Students
Kedric Milholand
Dianne Nigaglioni and Carolina Hernandez: B.S., University of Puerto Rico at Cayey
Tyler Shuman
Min Jung Kim: DVM, University of Minnesota Veterinary School
Sameha Albayyari
Adam Lennon
Damini Handa: MS, Doermer school of Business, Purdue Fort Wayne
Erina Sarker
Jenna Davidson: Ph.D., University of Notre Dame
High school students
Regina Thomas (Upward Bound Pre-professional Program 2017)
Marisabel Sanchez (Upward Bound Pre-professional Program 2016)
Chengyu Bi, Homestead High School
Sanjana Sai, Homestead High School