Sasha Zvenigorodsky
Champaign,IL
Summary
Dedicated and highly motivated professional with a Bachelor's degree in Crop Sciences, pursuing a Master's in Plant Pathology. Possess a strong academic background and a keen interest in plant science. Passionate about advancing research within horticulture and agriculture, and eager to contribute to projects that enhance understanding of plant physiology and agricultural sustainability.
Overview
3
3
years of professional experience
Work History
Graduate Research Assistant
Washington State University
Pullman, WA
08.2023 - Current
- Researched fungicide resistance within Ascochyta rabiei chickpea blight
- Isolated and cultured Ascochyta fungal spores on growth media
- Prepared and viewed fungal samples with compound microscope
- Collected and analyzed quantitative/qualitative spore growth data
Science Communications Intern
National Center For Supercomputing Applications
Champaign, IL
08.2022 - 08.2023
- Researched topics at the intersection of data science and agriculture
- Conducted interviews with scientists, researchers, and practitioners
- Drafted feature articles
- Participated in editing and publishing processes
Plant Pathology Research Assistant
International Rice Research Institute
Los Banos, Philippines
05.2022 - 08.2022
- Conducted research on Rhizoctonia solani rice sheath blight resistance within rice varieties
- Prepared rice sheath blight inoculum and completed leaf sample collection
- Utilized molecular biology technologies such as PCR, DNA extraction, and gel electrophoresis
- Analyzed phenotypic and genotypic data for resistance identification
Wheat Breeding Research Intern
Small Grains Improvement University of Illinois
Champaign, IL
01.2021 - 05.2022
- Participated in breeding research to enhance crop quality and overall yield
- Assisted with crop harvest, including collecting, sorting and packing crops
- Prepared and weighed seed samples for planting
- Recorded data pertaining to experimentation and research
- Contributed to development and completion of project initiatives
Education
Major - Crop Sciences
University of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL05.2023
Master of Science - Plant Pathology
Washington State University
Pullman, WASkills
- Aseptic technique
- Specimen Preparation
- Equipment Setup
- Analytical skills
- R script, Excel, PowerPoint
- Scientific writing
- Harvesting/planting crops
- Interactive teaching/learning
- Fluent in Russian and English
- Conversational in Spanish
Research and Academic Projects
- Individual research on interactions between vernalization and photoperiodism within winter wheat, UIUC Small Grains Improvement 2021-2023
- Research on sheath blight resistance within rice, International Rice Research Institute 2022
- Group presentation pitch for new transgenic crop, UIUC Biotechnology in Agriculture 2021
- Individual presentation on food waste and sustainability in USA, UIUC Public Speaking 2021
Affiliations
- 2022 UIUC Undergraduate Research Symposium Participant
- 2022 Northern Illinois Horticulture Association Scholarship Recipient
- 2022 Robert William Bretzlaff Scholarship Recipient
- 2021 UIUC Dean's List Honoree
Timeline
Graduate Research Assistant
Washington State University
08.2023 - Current
Science Communications Intern
National Center For Supercomputing Applications
08.2022 - 08.2023
Plant Pathology Research Assistant
International Rice Research Institute
05.2022 - 08.2022
Wheat Breeding Research Intern
Small Grains Improvement University of Illinois
01.2021 - 05.2022
Major - Crop Sciences
University of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign
Master of Science - Plant Pathology
Washington State University
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