BioWorks Awards IPM/Sustainable Practices Scholarship

BioWorks recently announced that Stacey Haack has been selected as the winner of the American Floral Endowment’s BioWorks IPM/Sustainable Practices Scholarship.

Applicants were evaluated on the basis of sound academic performance and a grade point average of 3.0 or better.

Haack will be a senior at the University of California, Davis, majoring in plant sciences with a double emphasis in plant breeding and genetics and crop production. She has a special interest in plant pathology, flower breeding systems, the seed industry, and aspires to become certified as a pest control advisor.

Presently, Haack is working as an undergraduate researcher in the Dept. of Plant Pathology at the university on a senior thesis project investigating the potential use of antifeedant and repellent sprays in preventing the landing and feeding of aphids on melon as a means to control mosaic viruses.

“I am inspired by the potential for breeding as a management method approach within an integrated pest management system, enhancing the overall way that we grow our plants,” commented Haack. “I love the interplay between different pest management system techniques, and the extreme variety in methods that can be used to address the same problem constantly encourages me to pursue this field.”