Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
References
Timeline
Generic

Jasmine Rodriguez

Salinas,CA

Summary

I'm a passionate and enthusiastic person who is seeking a new adventure and has developed a mature and responsible approach to any task that I undertake. Being exposed to agriculture all my life I never understood how complex and how fascinating it is. It wasn't until summer 2019 that an opportunity to intern with an entomologist that sparked a new profound appreciation for agriculture . This internship took my studies into a new direction. Hopefully I can continue to embark on this journey. On December 15, of 2021 I finished up my undergraduate degree program at California State University of Monterey Bay as a Environmental, Ecology and Organismal (EEO) biology major. In the near future I am thriving to continue my educational journey for a masters degree perhaps. My former supervisor, Dr. Alejandro Del Pozo made me realize how interesting and exciting it is to study the life on insects especially the ones that affect our vegetables. Because of my former supervisor and Dr. Daniel Hasegawa; the Research Entomologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA), I learned so much about the agriculture industry. And because of these two scientists I was introduced to new opportunities which I'm forever thankful for. Because of these two professionals I also performed many research projects for countless amount of growers. All my experience I know today is because of an unexpected internship that turned out to be what I am most passionate about now. Which is why I am currently aiming to apply for the Agricultural Pest Advisor(PCA) license in the near future.

Overview

4
4
years of professional experience

Work History

Special Projects Coordinator

PlantTape
06.2023 - Current
  • Conducted research and gathered key information for use in upcoming project planning.
  • Research specially in PlantTape transplanting material.
  • Evaluated lettuce, Cole crop transplanted fields and compared to direct seed material.
  • Lot of excel data imputing, specifically in pivot tables and graphing.


Field Research Specialist

California Strawberry Commission Watsonville
11.2021 - 03.2023
  • Analyzed variations in complex tests, experiments and procedures to produce research data
  • Modified experimental methods based upon interpretation of data
  • Monitored research data
  • Communicated with growers involved with my research, such as "Spotted Wing Fly Traps" and "Leaflet
  • Sampling for Mites"
  • These projects are informative and important for growers to know the number I am collecting on a weekly basis
  • Continuous amount of excel work, uploading and graphing data.
  • Daily communication with countless amount of growers.
  • Calibrated spray tractors specifically for strawberry fields. To improve spray equipment.


Lab Research Assistant

University of California Cooperate, Extension of Monterey County
01.2020 - 12.2021
  • Salinas
  • Managed and maintained many entomology research projects on my own while the head researcher was away for several months due to covid-19 pandemic
  • Supervised and guided student interns to appropriately follow established protocols and perform tasks such as identifying and counting insects(Western flower thrips, diamondback moths, and lettuce aphids) on sticky cards, pitfall traps and alcohol vials or collecting biomass samples from field trials
  • Independently set up and coordinated with California Department of Pesticide Regulation( CA PCA's) andFarmersonseveralpesticideandpestinfestationresearchprojects.Iusedarandomizedcompleteblock designs(RCBD) format that was left made already by my former supervisor
  • MonitoredagreatnumberofautomatedtrapssponsoredbyCortevaAgriscience,anAmericanagricultural chemical and seed company throughout the Salinas Valley, I am collecting these traps once a week and tracking data through Microsoft excel
  • All the sticky card monitoring data is posted on the UC ANR
  • Salinas Valley Agriculture Blog to provide updates to the industry
  • Done work for Corteva Agriscience with Verimark trials regarding INSV(thrip cause virus)
  • Verimark trials would involve lettuce planting
  • During the planting there would be a section of beds flagged for the reason was while the tractor was planting it would also spray a chemical to only the flagged beds
  • I would personally go and collect samples and rate for any early symptoms of thrip damages and also INSV symptoms
  • Rated insect damage in a variety of cole crops including broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts
  • Completely set up and independently managed a Department of Pesticide Regulation(DPR) trial which consisted of coordinating and collaborating with the USDA the planting of lettuce seed, inoculating lettuce with the species Nasonovia ribisnigri, arranging and supervising field spraying and collection and carefully labeling of biomass samples
  • AssistedinidentifyinginsectspeciesinsamplesreceivedbyourofficefromcommercialfarmersandPCA's
  • Collaborated in a broccoli trial regarding diamondback moths
  • Created a protocol for lettuce aphid bioassays
  • Bioassay is a way to test insecticides/pesticides effectiveness of Nasonovia ribisnigri(lettuce aphid)
  • Coordinated with an entomologist from Driscolls(California-based seller of fresh strawberries and other berries) and assisted with a strawberry lygus pheromone testing trials where traps were monitored and field areas had to be vacuumed to obtain insect densities near traps
  • Coordinated with Parabug in order to release beneficial insects to lettuce fields and ice plant locations with the purpose of decreasing populations
  • Parabug industry group, specializing in releasing beneficial insects, one of the methods by using drones as a source of releasing beneficials in agriculture fields.

Pythium Wilt Research Associate, Grower

INSV, Shipper
04.2021 - 11.2021
  • Working closely with research projects regarding pythium wilt and Impatiens necrotic spot virus(INSV)
  • Pythium Wilt infects lettuce roots with swimming spores that move within the water in the soil and its a pathogen of lettuce
  • Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) is a plant virus transmitted by the bite of Western flower thrips
  • This virus causes a few symptoms on lettuce, which are, wilting, stem death, leaf distortion, brown dark spots on leaves, eventually killing the crop
  • I go collect lettuce samples that are and have been treated with a type of treatment chemical
  • I also go to the nearest field with a high population of Western flower thrips to collect a large amount of them and take the lettuce samples and Western flower thrips to the lab for inspection
  • While inspection I leave two larger leaves from two lettuce heads per plot for later to set up thrip bioassays
  • Bioassay is an analytical method to determine the potency of a substance by its effect on the tissue.

University of California Cooperate Extension of, Monterey County
06.2019 - 12.2019
  • Collected and correctly identified several aphid, thrip, moth, and beneficial insect species infesting many vegetable fields such as leafy and cole crops
  • Reliable and independent when going to field trials with the purpose of collecting plant and insect samples to process in the laboratory
  • Processing field samples by inspecting leaf by leaf to detect any aphid, thrips, maggots, or beetles present and to identify life stages, whether dead or alive to determine effectiveness of chemicals sprayed
  • Assisted setting up field trials
  • Set up independently many laboratory bioassays to test the efficiency of several insecticides on aphids, springtails and symphylans
  • Wrote my own step-by-step protocols using microsoft word.

Education

Bachelors of Science - Biology

California State University of Monterey Bay
Seaside, CA
12.2021

Associates Degree - Natural Science

Hartnell College
Salinas, CA
05.2019

Skills

  • Microsoft Office Experienced
  • Microsoft Excel Experienced
  • Microsoft Outlook Experienced
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Experienced

References

Alejandro Del Pozo from Virginia Polytechnic Institute State University
Adelpozo@vt.edu · 509-432-3358


Daniel Hasegawa from U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA)
Daniel.hasegawa@usda.gov · 831-206-8177


Maria de la Fuente from University of California Cooperate Extension of Monterey County
Medelafuente@ucanr.edu · 408-806-4631


Dan Legard former Director at California Strawberry Commission

legard@sbcglobal.net




Timeline

Special Projects Coordinator

PlantTape
06.2023 - Current

Field Research Specialist

California Strawberry Commission Watsonville
11.2021 - 03.2023

Pythium Wilt Research Associate, Grower

INSV, Shipper
04.2021 - 11.2021

Lab Research Assistant

University of California Cooperate, Extension of Monterey County
01.2020 - 12.2021

University of California Cooperate Extension of, Monterey County
06.2019 - 12.2019

Bachelors of Science - Biology

California State University of Monterey Bay

Associates Degree - Natural Science

Hartnell College

Similar Profiles

CREATE PROFILE
Jasmine Rodriguez