The Guédot Lab is thrilled to welcome Emilie Parkanzky as our new Master student.

Background and research interests 

I completed my undergraduate degree at Michigan State University with a major in environmental studies and sustainability in the summer of 2021. After graduating, I joined Michigan State University’s Berry Crops Lab where I studied insect-plant interactions of pest insects, namely spotted-winged drosophila (SWD), on in blueberry, cherry and raspberry. I sampled the local region to rear and quantify the current population of the SWD biological control agent, Ganaspis brasiliensis, and other parasitoid wasps. Before returning to academia, I was a quality control scientist in commercial bumblebee keeping and biological control production where I conducted laboratory processes such as DNA extraction, PCR analysis, and insect sample dissections.

I am looking to pursue a career in this field either involving biological control, pests, pollinators or natural insect communities. The relationship between human alterations to the environment and the corresponding reaction of insects is what intrigues me the most in this field, especially in relation to the resiliency of pest species to management measures and the conservation of beneficial insects.

Project topic 

My master’s project in the Guédot lab expands upon attract-and-kill methods of Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) in Wisconsin vineyards.

Personal interests

I am a watercolor artist specializing in animal portraits. I have a keen interest in rabbits, enjoy ceramics, exploring nature, and cafes.

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