Talissa Floriani
Co-chair
PhD student passionate about plants and genes. She is a Graduate Research Assistant at the Department of Crop Sciences, under the supervision of Professor Alex Lipka, the Principal Investigator. Her work is related to genetics and plant breeding, with a focus on statistical genomics and machine learning analysis in maize and sorghum. During her free time, Talissa enjoys painting and drawing, creating new art, and spending time with her bunny, family, and friends.
Rishabh Singh
Co-chair
Second-year Ph.D. student in the Weed Molecular Biology and Genomics Lab at the Department of Crop Sciences. His research focuses on understanding the molecular basis of herbicide resistance in major weeds like waterhemp and Palmer amaranth. Outside of academics, Rishabh enjoys road trips, spending time outdoors, and volleyball. He is also passionate about learning and exploring cultures and traditions from around the world.
John Enriquez
Program & Idealization Team Lead
Ph.D. student in the Department of Crop Sciences under the mentorship of Dr. Eliana Monteverde. His work centers on the genetic improvement of seed composition traits and key agronomic characteristics that influence yield and adaptability across diverse environmental gradients. He aims to support agricultural innovation by integrating classical breeding methods with modern genomic tools and data-driven approaches to accelerate the selection process and contribute to the long-term improvement of crop performance.
Ava Isaacs
Logistics
First year PhD student in the Crop Physiology Lab under the guidance of Dr. Connor Sible and Dr. Fred Below. Her research focuses on residue degradation and how growers can incorporate fertility and biologicals into managing residue in no-till and tillage systems and various crop rotations for increased yield. The main goal of her research is to aid farmers in navigating the large market of biological products and fertility and to pair these with the correct tillage program to maximize yield and field productivity.
Mauro Martínez
Sponsorship & Treasury Team Lead
PhD student in the Soybean Breeding lab under Dr. Eliana Monteverde. His research integrates crop growth modelling, envirotyping, and photosynthetic trait measurement into breeding pipelines to better understand GxE interactions and enhance soybean yield. Building on his earlier work—where he studied light-quality-dependent photosynthesis during his Bachelor’s and translatomic responses to drought during his Master’s— Mauro continues to explore how crops adapt to environmental challenges. In his spare time, he enjoys playing soccer and tennis, swimming, and surfing.
Olayemi Ojeokun
Program and Idealization
Doctoral Student in the Bohn Maize Lab specializing in Plant breeding, genetics, and plant-microbe interactions in maize. Her research focuses on understanding the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in maize and how these interactions can inform crop improvement strategies. She also volunteers as a Global Educator for ISSS and serve as the director of Professional Development at the African Student Organization. Outside of work and research, Olayemi enjoys traveling, hiking and engaging in meaningful activities that bring people together.
Jordin Burchett
Sponsorship and Treasury
Third-year undergraduate majoring in Plant Biotechnology with a minor in global market and society. She is interested in plant breeding and genetics. When she is not in class, she volunteers at the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, spending time with the local Urbana-Champaign community. She also volunteers at the University YMCA. For fun, Jordin likes to study abroad, watch movies with friends, and spend time outdoors.
Fay Siringoringo
Communication and Marketing
Ph.D. student working in Dr. Tranel's Weed Molecular Biology & Genomics lab. Her research focuses on understanding how weeds adapt to agricultural environments, combining evolutionary biology and genomics to investigate convergent evolution of the genus Amaranthus. Outside the lab, she can often be found on the badminton court or practicing the saxophone.
Edlyn Martinez
Communication and Marketing
Senior majoring in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, minoring in Spatial and Quantitative Methods. Her research explores differences in soil chemistry between park spaces and street tree planting pits to understand the influence of legacy and present-day socioeconomic processes on urban soil biodiversity. Outside of research, she explores creative approaches to environmental storytelling, drawing connections between science, place, and community.
Mahadi Hasan
External Outreach
First year PhD student in the Illinois Agronomy Lab under Dr. Giovani Preza Fontes in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on cover crops and nutrient management, and water quality. He loves to explore nature by traveling to new places. In addition, Mahadi likes to spend time with friends and family.
Tuba Yasmin Lubna
External Outreach
First year PhD student in the Studer Lab in Department of Crop Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on programming plant architecture in maize using breeding and transgenic manipulation to enhance yield potential and resource use efficiency. Outside of research, Tuba loves to travel, exploring new places, cycling, fishing, hiking, engaging with diverse cultures and building meaningful friendships with people around the world.