Meet the dedicated team of student organizers of the 2026 symposium.
Adele Jamalzei
Adele is a PhD candidate in Dr. Arron Carter’s lab at Washington State University, where her research focuses on pyramiding four yield-related QTLs into a single genetic background to simultaneously improve multiple yield components. She also uses multispectral drone imagery to monitor canopy development across pyramided lines throughout the season. Before joining WSU, Adele completed her Master’s at Gorgan University in collaboration with Dr. Khalil Zaynali Nezhad and Dr. Andreas Börner (IPK Gene Bank, Germany), conducting GWAS across spring wheat accessions to identify yield-related QTL. She also brings two years of applied experience from the Wheat Gene Bank in northern Iran. Her research sits at the intersection of quantitative genetics, plant breeding, and high-throughput phenotyping, with a particular interest in using genomic tools and artificial intelligence to accelerate genetic gain in wheat.
Marita White
Marita White was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she also earned bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Biochemistry from Bethel University. She moved to Pullman in August of 2022 to begin gradute school at Washington State University.
At WSU, she is conducting research on wheat to improve its acid soil tolerance and investigate the role of soil microorganisms in acid soil tolerance in wheat. Her personal interests, apart from plants, include dragonflies, fishing, playing violin, being outdoors, and reading. Fun fact: Marita shares a birthday with her older sister, even though they are not twins.
Melinda Zubrod
Melinda grew up on a small corn and soybean farm in northwestern Iowa. She attended Iowa State University, where she earned a B.A. in Agronomy with a minor in genetics. While attending ISU, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Asheesh Singh’s soybean program, where she studied root architecture and soybean nodulation.
Melinda is currently a PhD student at Washington State University studying winter wheat breeding under Dr. Arron Carter. Her PhD project focuses on utilizing a drone-mounted multispectral sensor to make selections in a breeding program. She is currently working on using vegetative indices to identify herbicide injury in winter wheat plots.
Lochana Marasinghe
Lochana is a Doctoral Candidate in Biological Systems Engineering at Washington State University, working under Professor Sindhuja Sankaran. Her research focuses on designing advanced sensing systems integrating Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence to develop automated solutions for continuous crop monitoring and early potato disease detection in storage facilities. Originally from Sri Lanka, she earned her B.Sc. (Hons) in Electrical and Information Engineering and a postgraduate diploma in Computer Science. Her expertise is rooted in electronics and embedded systems, supported by over three years of industry experience as a software engineer at CodeGen International. By combining her hardware and software background with a passion for robotics and machine learning, she focuses on creating intelligent, end-to-end solutions that solve complex challenges in the agricultural sector.
Nataniel Jablonski
Nataniel is originally from Poland, where he earned both his BS and MS degrees in biotechnology from Maria Curie-Skłodowska University. During his master’s research, he studied exopolysaccharide (EPS) biosynthesis in Rhizobium leguminosarum, focusing on the role of genes involved in EPS modification and their effects on bacterial growth, motility, and symbiotic interactions with host plants. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in Dr. Allan Caplan’s lab at the University of Idaho. His research focuses on understanding how the wild nightshade species Solanum sisymbriifolium resists major agricultural nematode pests, including the pale cyst nematode and several root-knot nematode species. By identifying resistance mechanisms, he aims to expand the understanding of plant-pathogen interactions and develop transgenic potatoes with durable resistance to nematode infection, while also exploring secondary metabolite-based approaches that could be applied as nematicidal treatments. His research interests include the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions, genetic engineering, and bioinformatics.
Bipin Neupane
Bipin Neupane is a Ph.D. student at Washington State University, specializing in Small Grain Breeding, Genomics, and Bioinformatics. With a strong background in agricultural sciences and experience as a Graduate Research Assistant at North Dakota State University and Tribhuvan University, he brings a unique perspective and a relentless drive for learning to his research. Bipin has contributed to cutting-edge projects in plant breeding, genome sequencing, and crop stress tolerance evaluation. His technical expertise spans DNA extraction, PCR, genotyping, sequencing, disease screening, and data analysis. He actively serves on professional committees, including NAPB, where he demonstrates his creativity and leadership, while also dedicating himself to mentoring students and engaging in community service.
Gabrielle Berger
Gabrielle grew up in a small town in Southern Michigan and earned a B.S. in Information Science with a minor in horticulture from Michigan State University. At MSU, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Miranda Haus’s root biomechanics lab, where she studied how mechanical cultivation techniques affect root anchorage force abilities. It sparked her interest in sensing, data-driven phenotyping, and the mechanics of biological systems. She is now a Master’s student in the Biological and Agricultural Systems Engineering Department at Washington State University, specializing in Agricultural Automation. She works in Dr. Sindhuja Sankaran’s Phenomics Lab, where her research focuses on developing machine-learning-driven health assessment pipelines for dairy cattle with early-life diseases. Her goal is to integrate sensing, image-based phenotyping, and predictive modeling to aid in real-world decision-making techniques for farmers.
Sadikshya Poudel
Sadikshya Poudel is a Ph.D. student under Dr. Robert Brueggeman in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University. Her doctoral research focuses on biofortification for enhanced nutritional content in barley, specifically targeting grain β-glucan and mineral concentrations. By integrating genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with functional validation using TILLING populations, she identifies stable genetic loci for nutritional traits. Prior to WSU, Sadikshya earned her Master’s degree at Mississippi State University, where she published high-impact research on soybean physiological responses to heat and drought stress. When she isn’t in the lab, she is a passionate traveler, an experimental cook, and a painter. She aims to bridge the gap between genetic discovery and applied breeding to develop climate-resilient, nutritionally dense crops for global food systems.
Ruth Ndidi Uwugiaren
Ruth is a Nigerian who holds both a BSc and an MSc in Biochemistry. Before joining the spring wheat breeding program in Fall 2021, she contributed to the NextGen Cassava Project at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, focused on developing vitamin A-fortified and high-yielding varieties now grown by farmers across Nigeria.
Currently a PhD candidate, Ruth focuses on enhancing the nutritional profile of wheat. Her research specializes in arabinoxylan (a beneficial dietary fiber) and anthocyanins (antioxidants), aiming to develop more nutritious wheat varieties for the global food supply.