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Hannah E. Quellhorst, PhD

USDA NIFA Postdoctoral Fellow, Kansas State University

About Me.

Hannah E. Quellhorst completed a B.S. and M.S. in Entomology at Purdue University. She completed her Ph.D. in Stored Products Entomology at Kansas State University. During her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree at Purdue University, she researched a hermetic packaging technology called Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags, studying the oxygen requirements of several stored product insects. These data helped to better understand how insects may survive and damage grain under hermetic conditions. Her work allowed us to predict the population densities that may develop under various abiotic conditions and the corresponding damage. Finally, she successfully obtained funding for and traveled to Haiti to understand the postharvest challenges and gender roles of smallholder farmers.

As a PhD student at Kansas State University in collaboration with the USDA-ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, she focused on integrated pest management (IPM) options for maize production by stakeholders across the globe to help control the invasive larger grain borer and the cosmopolitan maize weevil. She investigated improved chemical, physical, and cultural control methods for managing these pests. This involved evaluating a novel, reduced-risk insecticide, determining optimal packaging types for goods with maize, improving food safety in the post-harvest environment, and investigating grain colonization and competition by maize weevil and larger grain borer. She finished the last two years of her PhD with a NIFA Pre-Doctoral Fellowship ($118,000) which allowed her to study for two months at the University of Thessaly in Volos Greece and work with international collaborators at the University of Thessaly to help document and identify microbes of concern for human and animal health vectored by the invasive larger grain borer.

Currently, Dr. Quellhorst is a postdoctoral fellow at Kansas State University, working on the chemical ecology of a sunflower weevil, a native but resurging pest of sunflower causing serious problems for stakeholders, especially in the Dakotas. She is focused on finding Integrated pest management option to help growers such as a pheromone lure. She also continues her involvement in stored products pest research. 

 

Her interests include global food security, international development, women empowerment, insect biochemistry and physiology, and insect behavior. In the future, she hopes to focus on humanitarian science through a career in Entomology. Her life-long career goal includes helping to transform agriculture by improving pest management to feed our world’s increasing population.

Education

2018 - 2023

Doctor of Philosophy 

Entomology

Kansas State University

(1) Through a USDA NIFA Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, worked on research related to the improvement of post-harvest management of maize in developing countries, under the supervision of Dr. Rob Morrison and Dr. Kun Yan Zhu. Focused on International development, improving crop storage, and food security for smallholder farmers. (2) Conducted a field survey for invasive stored products insect pests in Greece. Investigated the microbial ecology of field-caught and laboratory strain insects.  Gave a seminar at the University of Thessaly on PhD research. (3) Served in the Science Policy Fellows (SPF) program, which is a two-year active training program to teach

entomologists the skills needed to successfully advocate for the discipline. The training focuses on federal policy in Washington, D.C. Traveled to D.C to talk to agencies/congressmen/senators about key issues facing the nation in agriculture, public health, and related entomology issues. (4) Served as a teaching assistant to Dr. Greg Zolnerowich, Dr. Jeremy Marshall, and Dr. Tom Phillips for the General Entomology Laboratory (ENTOM 312) course. Served as a resource and mentor for the students in the class. Guided students through lab lectures and lab related field trips on campus. Assisted the major professors during class time. Graded exams. Gave short introductory lab lectures for two of the three lab sections. Served as a teaching assistant to Dr. Tania Kim for Economic Entomology Lab and Lecture (ENTOM 300 and 301). Served as instructor of record for the laboratory and assisted on exam days in lecture.

2016 - 2018

Master of Science

Entomology

Purdue University

(1) Studied insect oxygen consumption in hermetic storage systems under the supervision of Dr. Dieudonné Baributsa. Surveyed smallholder farmers in developing nations. Focused on international development, technology transfer, improving crop storage and food security for smallholder farmers. (2) Participated in the annual 2-week long learning program designed for graduate students who are interested in developing a holistic understanding of the conceptual challenges around global food security. This introduction to global food security provided a working knowledge of these issues, with a focus on cross-disciplinary problem solving of real-world development challenges. Program included lectures, case studies, small group discussions, field trips, and a group project competition proposing an international intervention in an assigned developing country. (3) Conducted a survey on postharvest practices in 3 departments (Centre, Ouest, Artibonite) in Haiti. Was in charge of all technical aspects (planning) of the study and the field work. Interviewed over 200 farmers with the help of four Haitian enumerators. Provided a training session on the online survey software KoboToolbox, for the USAID, AREA UF/IFAS team in Port-au-Prince Haiti. (4) Served as a teaching assistant to World Food Prize winner Dr. Gebisa Ejeta and Dr. Elizabeth Brite for the Honors 299 Food Security course. Served as a resource and mentor for the students in the class and guided students through fieldwork on a campus survey assessing food security of students, faculty, and staff at Purdue. Assisted the major professor during class time and facilitated class. (5) Taught four sections of the General Entomology Laboratory course (ENTM 207). Lectured students on insect structure and function, anatomy and physiology, and insect naming conventions and systematics. Guided students through laboratory exercises. Assisted the major professor during class time for the course Insect Friend and Foe (ENTM 105). Graded assignments for both classes.

2012 - 2015

Bachelor of Science

Entomology

Purdue University

Worked in three laboratories to gain experience and specialization in Entomology. Completed/participated in the following projects: (1) Worked on the Indiana Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Program (CAPS) managing a statewide traveling cooperative agricultural pest survey under the supervision of Larry Bledsoe. Traveled to four sites spanning the state to empty insect traps. Screened these samples for invasive insect species. Traveled to two USDA offices to collect exotic wood borer/bark beetle survey samples. Spread, preserved, and labeled specimens. Worked with graduate students on research projects in field crops, including for a project on refuge structure in transgenic corn). (2) Developed and tested a novel method for measuring oxygen consumption in stored grain pests (Cowpea weevil and the Indian-meal moth) under the supervision of Dr. Larry Murdock in the Purdue Improved Crop Storage Lab (PICS). Maintained insect colonies (Maize weevil, Cowpea weevil, Rice weevil, Red flour beetle, Indian meal moth) and aided with research projects for the PICS initiative (PICS 2 & PICS 3). Inventoried and maintained lab. Gained experience in digital insect macro photography using microscope, for use in projects and publications. (3) Studied the chemical ecology of the peach bark beetle, Phloeotribus liminaris. Attended faculty and industry seminars and tours. Served as a forest entomology field and laboratory technician. Presented my research before my cohort and faculty at the Dow AgroSciences MASI Research Seminar. 

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