Summer 2025 REEU

During Summer 2025, the Department of Agricultural Biology will be hosting students for an REEU, or Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates!

If you are interested in applied agricultural research and extension, you should apply!

This opportunity will allow you to immerse yourself in eight weeks of research and extension experience.

Questions? Reach out to Dr. Ada Szczepaniec, a.szczepaniec@colostate.edu!

Application Information

Access the application document here

How to submit your application:

  1. Fill out the information requested in the application document. Draft short statements to address your research experiences, interests, and personal experiences that shaped your career goals.
  2. Share copies of your current transcripts and two letters of recommendation.
  3. Compile all documents into a single PDF.
  4. Email your application to Dr. Ada Szczepaniec, a.szczepaniec@colostate.edu, by April 7th, 2025.

REEU Program Details

The program is a Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates (REEU) focused on Applied Research and IPM (integrated pest management) for Dryland Systems (ARIDS).

The REEU has a duration of eight weeks, beginning on June 2, 2025 and ending July 25, 2025.

You will be provided:

  • Lodging and food
  • Reimbursement for your travel costs to the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins, Colorado
  • A stipend of $5,000

Once you are accepted into the program, you will be matched with a faculty member best aligned with your research interests and engage in applied research and/or extension during the eight-week program.

You will present the results of your work at the end of the program.

Program Focus Areas

Entomology

  • Applications of entomopathogenic fungi in suppressing a stem-boring pest of quinoa
  • Mechanisms of quinoa resistance to a key pest
  • Insect diversity-productivity relationships in rangelands
  • Integrated pollinator management in urban landscapes
  • Modern techniques in plant-pest interactions (e.g., RNAi)

Plant Pathology:

  • Molecular virus-host interactions in wheat
  • Disease surveillance and diagnostics in wheat
  • Modern techniques in plant-pathogen interactions (e.g., disease resistance screening, mapping of loci and molecular mechanisms, recombinant viruses)

Plant Molecular Biology:

  • Characterization of aphid salivary effectors in wheat, sorghum, or potato under drought stress
  • Gene expression analysis of drought stress on crop responses on a diurnal scale
  • Developing CRISPR technology to modify aphid and host genes involved in crop (wheat, sorghum, or potato) colonization
  • Techniques used: DNA and RNA extraction using the Opentron OT-2 robot, PCR and qRT-PCR, plant and aphid bioassays, and CRISPR

Weed Science:

  • Developing novel weed management tools in wheat
  • Effect of environment on herbicide metabolism
  • Optimizing CoAXium wheat production system

Data Science:

  • Drone and satellite imaging spectroscopy, image processing, machine learning
  • Geospatial science, crop type mapping
  • High-throughput plant phenotyping
  • Spectral detection and characterization of crop diseases
  • Spectral characterization of wheat herbicide tolerance

Faculty Mentors

Ada Szczepaniec.

Dr. Ada Szczepaniec

Entomology

Associate Professor of Horticultural Entomology

a.szczepaniec@colostate.edu

Punya Nachappa

Dr. Punya Nachappa

Entomology

Associate Professor and Associate Department Head

punya.nachappa@colostate.edu

Lisa Blecker.

Dr. Marek Borowiec

Entomology

Assistant Professor of Insect Systematics

marek.borowiec@colostate.edu

Ada Szczepaniec.

Dr. Seth Davis

Entomology

Associate Professor of Forest Health

seth.davis@colostate.edu

Brad Tonnessen

Dr. John Mola

Entomology

Assistant Professor, Plant-Pollinator Interactions

john.mola@colostate.edu

Lisa Blecker.

Dr. Micky Eubanks

Entomology

Professor of Entomology

micky.eubanks@colostate.edu

Robyn Roberts.

Dr. Robyn Roberts

Plant Pathology

Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology

robyn.roberts@colostate.edu

Brad Tonnessen

Dr. Jane Stewart

Plant Pathology

Associate Professor of Plant Pathology

jane.stewart@colostate.edu

Lisa Blecker.

Dr. Franck Dayan

Weed Science

Nutrien Distinguished Scholar of Agricultural Sciences

franck.dayan@colostate.edu

Ada Szczepaniec.

Dr. Todd Gaines

Weed Science

Associate Professor of Molecular Weed Science

todd.gaines@colostate.edu

Brad Tonnessen

Dr. Vamsi Nalam

Plant Molecular Biology

Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Plant Pathology

vamsi.nalam@colostate.edu

Lisa Blecker.

Dr. Phuong Dao

Data Science

Assistant Professor, Hyperspectral Remote Sensing & Agricultural Intelligence

phuong.dao@colostate.edu