Audrey Morrison

What is your research about and what is the impact? How does it relate to the horticulture industry, what is the goal?

My research aims to identify table beet and Swiss chard cultivars that have resistance to bacterial leaf spot, and locate those resistance genes within the plant’s genome. This project is apart of a larger grant with many different universities working towards the same overarching goal to protect producers from crop loss to this bacterial disease.

What was the path you took to work in plant sciences? And then what advice would you give to your younger self to get into the field/career you are in today?

Involvement is huge! I am a big believer that education is more than what is taught inside of a classroom. I am a very tangible learner, so I found mentors (through undergraduate research and internships) that were willing to share their knowledge and guide me through what were very formative years.

Advice I would give to myself, and any other student, would be to continue to reach out and make connections. Many academic or industry personnel appreciate students who are eager to learn and ask questions.