Punya Nachappa

Associate Professor and Associate Department Head
Email: [email protected]
Office: C201 Plant Sciences
​Phone: 970-481-2628
Follow me on Twitter @NachappaPunya

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Research Associates and Post-docs

Dr. Jacob MacWillams
Research Associate III
Ph.D. (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) UC Riverside
Email: [email protected] 
Jacob is also our lab manager. He is involved in a number of projects, but his research is focused on the adaptive role of cannabinoids in hemp-insect interaction. 
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Adam Osterholzer
​Research Associate I
B.S. (Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology) Colorado State University
Email: [email protected] 
Adam is in charge of the wheat entomology program specifically the wheat stem sawfly projects including state-wide survey and screening Colorado elite germplasm and varieties for the Wheat breeding program led by Dr. Esten Mason. 

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Olivia Carter
​Research Associate I
B.S. (Biology) Colorado State University
Email: [email protected] 
Olivia was an undergraduate student in the lab for two years and after graduation she continued to work as a Research Associate. Her research investigates hemp russet mite biology and diagnostics. 

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Dr. Erika Peirce
Post-doctoral Research Associate
Ph.D. (Ecology) Colorado State University
Email: [email protected]
Erika's project focuses on evaluating ancestral wheat species for novel sources of resistance against the wheat stem sawfly. 

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Dr. Jinlong Han
Post-doctoral Research Associate
Ph.D. (Plant Pathology) North Carolina State University
Email: [email protected]
Jinlong's project is focused on understanding molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between beet leafhopper and beet curly top virus. He is also working on a collaborative project in Dr. Vamsi Nalam's lab. 

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Graduate students

Jacob Pitt
Ph.D. student
B.S. (Ecosystem Science and Sustainability) Colorado State University
Email: [email protected]
Jacob is studying the effect of plant species diversity on potato virus Y transmission by aphid vectors. He is the photographer of the cannabis aphid picture on the website!

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Henrique Vieira 
Ph.D. student
M.S. (Entomology) University of Minnesota
Email: [email protected]
​Henrique is studying IPM strategies to control the wheat stem sawfly. 

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Chris Hayes
M.S. student
​B.A. Vanderbilt University
​Email: [email protected]
Chris is working on developing innovative tools to manage hemp russet mite in hemp. 

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Laine Hackenberg
M.S. student
​B.S. (Plant Science) The Pennsylvania State University
​Email: [email protected]
Laine is analyzing the diversity of viruses/viroids in hemp using metagenomics and screening for genetic resistance in hemp lines. 

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Jordan Withycombe
M.S. student
​B.S. (Microbiology) Clemson University
​Email: [email protected]
Jordan is studying mechanisms of plant resistance to beet curly top virus in sugar beets using RNA-Seq. 

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Undergraduate students
Max Schmidtbauer (Fall 2021-Fall 2022): 2022 Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity College Honors
Victor Mora (Fall 2021-Fall 2022)
Lisa Kairy (Spring 2020-Fall 2022)
Olivia Carter (Fall 2020-Spring 2022): 2022 Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity College Honors
Tierra Mathews (Spring 2020-Spring 2022): 2021 Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity College Honors
​Mira Pusateri (Fall 2020-Fall 2021)
Tyler Yamashita (Spring 2021-Fall 2021)
Sam White (Fall 2019-Fall 2020): 2020 Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity College Honors
Emily Villa (Spring 2020-Fall 2020)
​Katie Langemeier (Fall 2019-Fall 2020): 2020 Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity College Honors
Emilie Carroll (Fall 2019-Spring 2020)
Billy Poon Wing Bill (Fall 2018-Fall 2019)

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