Posted: June 5, 2017

Year two of three-year USDA NIFA AFRI project directed by Dr. Tim McNellis began eight-week summer program on June 5.

(L-R) Franco Acevedo, Sheevah Amen, Tim Peoples, Osaretin Aimufua | Image: Christina Dorsey, Penn State

(L-R) Franco Acevedo, Sheevah Amen, Tim Peoples, Osaretin Aimufua | Image: Christina Dorsey, Penn State

Last year the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (USDA NIFA AFRI) funded an undergraduate fellowship program titled "Plant friends and foes: plant interactions with other organisms as related to plant health, agriculture, and the environment," with Dr. Tim McNellis, Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, as project director.

The three-year project fosters ties between faculty at Penn State and five minority-serving institutions (Alcorn State University, California State University at Monterey Bay, Morgan State University, the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, and Virginia State University).

Plant Friends and Foes fellowship recipients who are studying in the Dept. of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology this summer are:

  • Franco Acevedo (University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, Surinder Chopra's lab)
  • Osaretin Aimufua (Morgan State University, McNellis Lab)
  • Sheevah Amen (Virginia State University, Jim Tumlinson's lab)
  • Tim Peoples (Alcorn State University, Rosa Lab)

College of Agricultural Sciences faculty will mentor students each summer during this 8-week, in-residence program of research and extension experiential learning and professional development activities at University Park. Students will continue their summer research projects at their home institutions during the academic year following their participation in the summer program, continue to receive mentoring from Penn State faculty, and attend a major scientific conference to present their work. Penn State faculty will receive training on mentoring approaches for students from underrepresented groups.

Contact Information

Timothy W. McNellis, Ph.D.
  • Associate Professor