People

Dr. Kelly Hamby

Associate Professor/Extension Specialist (C.V.)
Email: kahamby@umd.edu
Phone: (301)-314-1068
Office: 3124 Plant Sciences Building
Lab: 3182 Plant Sciences Building
Major: Entomology Ph.D. and M.S., Environmental Toxicology B.S.

Research Interests: I work to improve agricultural sustainability and productivity while protecting human health and the environment, using the integrated pest management paradigm. In particular, I am focused on understanding insect interactions with free-living microorganisms, evaluating and optimizing pest management programs, and developing alternative management tactics in small fruit and grain crops.

Ph.D. Students

Maria Cramer

Graduate Student
Email: mec@umd.edu
Major: Horticulture M.S., Horticulture B.S.

Research Interests: During my M.S. I worked on IPM techniques for Japanese beetle and spotted wing drosophila in high tunnel raspberries. I'm excited to be working on grain crops now, where I’m investigating the impacts of preventatively-applied pesticides on insect communities. I focus on pest species and natural enemies to understand what practices can enhance naturally occurring biocontrol and support sustainable farming.

Lasair M. Ní Chochlain

Graduate Student
Email: lasair@umd.edu
Major: Biology B.S.

Research Interests: My research interests lie in plant-insect interactions, insect ecology, and how these relate to agricultural systems. I am particularly interested in integrated pest management. As an undergraduate at Penn State, I investigated the role of root-mediated plant kin recognition on aphid behavior and performance in genotypically diverse wheat mixtures. I plan to focus on understanding the ecological interactions that structure insect communities and developing sustainable IPM techniques for grain and small fruit crops.

Postdoctoral Researchers

Dr. Torsten Schöneberg

Postdoctoral Researcher
Email: torschon@umd.edu
Major: Agricultural Sciences - Plant Pathology

Research Interests: My previous work was based on optimizing farm systems to avoid Fusarium infections in cereals. Currently, I want to broaden my entomological knowledge by investigating the relationship between yeasts and D. suzukii as well as examining sustainable control measures.

Research Technicians

Rachel Sanford

Research Assistant
Email: rysanford97@gmail.com
Major: Biology

Research Interests: University of Maryland Spring 2019 graduate with a B.S. in Biology. Currently assisting with multiple research projects in the Hamby Lab, with a focus on Maggie Lewis’ SWD Fungal Association. I am interested in furthering my education with graduate school in entomology.

Undergraduate Student Researchers

Aaron Chan

Student Researcher
Email: acchan6@terpmail.umd.edu
Major: Biochemistry

Research Interests: I am interested in medicine, particularly infectious disease and toxicology. I hope to utilize my research in these fields to provide care to underprivileged communities in a clinical setting.

Sankara Ganesh

Student Researcher
Email: sankaraganesh7@gmail.com
Major: Biological Sciences - Ecology and Evolution

Research Interests: I am primarily interested in how ecology research can be applied to agriculture and public health, two important areas of global sustainable development. My goal is to develop research skills and someday work to promote sustainable agriculture and improve public health in developing countries.

Praise-God Igwe

Student Researcher
Email: praisegod.igwe@gmail.com
Major: Biological Sciences - Ecology and Evolution

Research Interests: My research interests include the impact of climate change on phenological events, ecology of suburban insects/suburban forestry, agroecology/agroforestry, and the relationships between native and invasive species.