Graduate Students
The following graduate students are currently studying at Puyallup.
Elias Bloom
Degree Pursued: Ph.D.
Faculty Advisor: David Crowder
Entomology
Andrea Garfinkel
Degree Pursued: Ph.D.
Faculty Advisor: Gary Chastagner
Plant Pathology
Andrea Garfinkel joined Dr. Gary Chastagner’s lab as a Ph.D student in the fall of 2013. For her doctoral work, she will be working on the management of diseases of cut flowers. Andrea earned her MS degree in Agronomy in the summer of 2013 from the University of Wyoming where she worked on greenhouse and high tunnel production of sunflowers. While at the University of Wyoming, Andrea also worked as a plant pathology research assistant assessing the efficacy of chemical fungicides and screening for resistance. Andrea also has a BA in International Studies from the University of Wyoming.
Taylor Haskins
Degree Pursued: M.S.
Faculty Advisor: John Stark
Environmental Science
Taylor received her undergraduate degree in Marine Biology from Texas A&M – Corpus Christi. Over the course of her studies she has worked on oyster restoration, marine mammal physiology, and spent a summer in Mexico studying vital capacities of live free breathing dolphins. Her M.S. will focus on studying the effects of stormwater run-off on the marine system and fish populations. She loves that her field of studying helps the environment and contributes to protecting the natural circle of life. When she’s not studying she enjoys horseback riding, playing with her dog, baking—and dreaming of someday scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef.
Khaled Hesaien
Faculty Advisor: Pat Moore
Horticulture, Small Fruit
Nannette Huber
Degree Pursued: Ph.D.
Faculty Advisor: Joan Wu
Biological Systems Engineering
Ben Leonard
Degree Pursued: Ph.D.
Faculty Advisor: John Stark
Environmental Studies
Ben is pursuing his Doctorate with the School of Environment. Before enrolling at WSU, Ben studied limnology, ecology, statistics and chemistry at the University of British Columbia and Evergreen State College. His research interests include stormwater management, permeable pavement design, and anything fish related. When he’s not working you can find Ben biking, repairing vintage audio equipment, or hanging out with his dog.
Chelsea Mitchell
Degree Pursued: M.S.
Faculty Advisor: John Stark
Environmental Studies
Henry Sintim
Faculty Advisor: Markus Flury
Soil Science
Nathan Stacey
Degree Pursued: Ph.D.
Faculty Advisor: Joan Davenport
Soil Science
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Nathan received a B.A. in Communications from Truman State University (2002). After exploring the mountains of Colorado for a few years, he decided to switch gears, get his hands dirty, and pursue an interest in soil science.
He is currently a Ph.D candidate in the Department of Crop and Soil Science and working to “close the loop” at a local military base. He is testing the hypothesis that a waste product (a composted biosolid) can act as an effective nutrient substitute in the soil environment, and therefore be considered a resource.
He enjoys running, hiking, reading, and making beer when not taking soil samples.
David Sullivan
Degree Pursued: M.S.
Faculty Advisor: Doug Collins
Soil Science
David began his research at Puyallup during the 2015 field season on reduced tillage organic cropping systems with the WSU Small Farms program. He is interested in the effects of strip tillage and high residue cover crop mulch on water use efficiency and weed suppression. He most recently comes from Hāna Ranch—a 3,600 acre historic ranch in Hāna, Maui—where he and a dedicated crew began diversified, organic vegetable and fruit production working for Bio-Logical Capital. Prior, he worked in Australia with Mulloon Creek Natural Farms in New South Wales where he established their biological monitoring program to track sward diversity, productivity, and nutrient cycling in pastures for their grazing operation. Originally from Arkansas, David received his bachelor’s in Sustainable Development from Colorado College.
Alex Taylor
Faculty Advisor: John Stark
Biological Systems Engineering
Former Graduate Students
The following individuals have are have completed their programs, transferred to another institution, or are no longer studying at Puyallup.
Janet Lane
Degree Pursued: M.S.
Faculty Advisor: John Stark
Entomology
Janet Lane is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Entomology. Her research will utilize species distribution modeling to predict suitable locations to release parasitoids to control fruit flies. Combining the model results with a Geographic Information Systems analysis with additional layers will ensure better pest management decisions than the modeling programs alone can provide. She has also collected several hundreds of insects from around the United States and in Australia.
Janet has received two Certificates in Scientific Illustration and Web Multimedia. She has worked as a freelance web designer and also as a scientific illustrator to create stippled illustrations of ten species of Anthocorids for a publication. Her illustrations were on display at the Woodland Park Zoo and the Burke Museum. Please send her an email if you are interested in her illustrations or her hand coded website.
Kathleen McKeever
Degree Pursued: Ph.D.
Faculty Advisor: Gary Chastagner
Plant Pathology
Katie is from New York State’s Mid-Hudson Valley. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Health from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse, NY. She has an avid interest in Forest Pathology, Ecology, and Silviculture, and has worked with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Forest Health and Protection Division. She joined the Plant Pathology Department at WSU in Fall 2008 to pursue a Master of Science degree under the supervision of Dr. Gary Chastagner at WSU Puyallup REC. Her research involved molecular, biological and histological characterization of the colonization and sporulation of the “Sudden Oak Death” pathogen—Phytophthora ramorum—on Douglas-fir tissues. Katie successfully completed the MS degree requirements in December 2010. She was awarded the 2009 Integrated Hardwood Resource Management Student Scholarship, 2009 WSU Puyallup Book Club Scholarship, the 2010 WSU Pierce County Master Gardener’s Scholarship and won first place honors at the WSU Plant Pathology Student Research Expo in June 2010.
Justin Ruiz
Degree Pursued:
Faculty Advisor: Doug Collins
Crop Science