Punya Nachappa
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. (Entomology) Kansas State University
Email: punya.nachappa@colostate.edu
Office: C028 Plant Sciences
Phone: 970-481-6882
Ph.D. (Entomology) Kansas State University
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.
Priyanka Mittapelly
Post-doctoral research associate
Ph.D (Entomology) Ohio State University
Email: priyanka.mittapelly@colostate.edu
Priyanka's work is focused on transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of insect/mite responses to virus infection in two pathosystems, soybean vein necrosis virus- thrips and wheat streak mosaic virus-wheat curl mites.
Post-doctoral research associate
Ph.D (Entomology) Ohio State University
Email: priyanka.mittapelly@colostate.edu
Priyanka's work is focused on transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of insect/mite responses to virus infection in two pathosystems, soybean vein necrosis virus- thrips and wheat streak mosaic virus-wheat curl mites.
Renee Dayan
Lab technician
Email: rdayan95@gmail.com
Renee takes care of the greenhouse duties including growing and maintaining the many plants species we need for our research.
Lab technician
Email: rdayan95@gmail.com
Renee takes care of the greenhouse duties including growing and maintaining the many plants species we need for our research.
Jacob Pitt
M.S. student
B.S. (Ecosystem Science and Sustainability) Colorado State University
Email: jacob.pitt@colostate.edu
Jacob is interested in studying herbivore-induced volatiles in hemp and exploiting this tool for insect pest management.
M.S. student
B.S. (Ecosystem Science and Sustainability) Colorado State University
Email: jacob.pitt@colostate.edu
Jacob is interested in studying herbivore-induced volatiles in hemp and exploiting this tool for insect pest management.
Judy Chiginsky
M.S. student (co-advised with Dr. Vamsi Nalam)
B.S. (Entomology) University of California Davis
Email: judy.chiginsky@colostate.edu
Judy's research will focus on the effects of beet curly top virus on its vector beet leafhopper.
M.S. student (co-advised with Dr. Vamsi Nalam)
B.S. (Entomology) University of California Davis
Email: judy.chiginsky@colostate.edu
Judy's research will focus on the effects of beet curly top virus on its vector beet leafhopper.
Billy Poon Wing Bill
Undergraduate student
Email: billpoon@rams.colostate.edu
Billy is a zoology major and assists with a number of projects including epidemiology of wheat curl mite-transmitted virus in Colorado and seed transmission of alfalfa mosaic virus in solanceous crops.
Undergraduate student
Email: billpoon@rams.colostate.edu
Billy is a zoology major and assists with a number of projects including epidemiology of wheat curl mite-transmitted virus in Colorado and seed transmission of alfalfa mosaic virus in solanceous crops.
Samantha White
Undergraduate student
Email: slwhite@rams.colostate.edu
Sam is a biology major and primarily works with Priyanka on RNA silencing in soybean thrips.
Undergraduate student
Email: slwhite@rams.colostate.edu
Sam is a biology major and primarily works with Priyanka on RNA silencing in soybean thrips.
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
