Jennifer Kimball
JK
Former Crop Science - PhD
Bio
- Degree Program: Ph.D., Crop Science
- Previous Degrees: B.A., Biology, Ithaca College; M.S., Crop Science, Plant Breeding, N.C. State University
- PhD Advisors: Dr. Thomas Isleib; Dr. Susana Milla-Lewis
- Dissertation: Breeding for Cold Tolerance in St. Augustinegrass using Conventional and Molecular Methods.
- Dissertation Date: 2015-10-30
- MS Advisor: Dr. Susana Milla-Lewis
- Thesis: Molecular Characterization of Warm-season Turfgrass Germplasm.
- Thesis Date: 2011-10-31
Research
My research focuses on improving cold tolerance in St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum [Walt.] Kuntze). The objectives of my research are to 1) Evaluate the inheritance of cold tolerance and related traits in St. Augustinegrass; 2) Develop an efficient screening methodology for freezing tolerance in an environmentally-controlled setting; and 3) Construct a linkage map using a pseudo-F2 testcross strategy for a population segregating for cold hardiness to detect QTLs associated with traits collected in both field and controlled environments.