Favorite berry: Muscadines, hands down
Fun fact: Before my career in research, I was a competitive athlete and a musician
Role: I am Associate Professor and the Principal Investigator at the Very Berry Lab. I am also the North Carolina viticulturist and strawberry specialist
Favorite Berry: Black Raspberry
Fun Fact: When I was a kid I did a pogo stick routine in the school's talent show to the song Sk8er Boi.
Role: I assist in field trials, greenhouse trials, and laboratory work for both strawberry and grape research initiatives. I also manage the indoor greenhouse strawberry nursery.
Favorite berry: Cherries
Fun fact: I've met Judge Judy before!
Role: I'm the Project Coordinator for the Very Berry Lab and the SCRI PIP-CAP Project. I've been working at the Lab since March 2022
Favorite berry: Blueberries and strawberries
Fun fact: My favorite hobby is rollerskating
Role: I manage the website and Instagram account for the Very Berry Lab, and I'm also going to co-host our upcoming podcast
Favorite berry: Strawberries
Fun fact: My masters research involved infecting strawberries with various diseases so I'm not sure if I'm better at killing them or keeping them alive at this point
Role: I've been a PhD student at the Very Berry Lab since August 2022. I investigate the impact of chilling and photoperiod on flower development and gene expression in 4 strawberry genotypes
Favorite berry: Strawberry
Fun fact: I learnt how to ride a bicycle within a month on my own as an adult
Role: I investigate phenotypic parameters underlying the runnering and flowering architecture in major commercial cultivars of strawberry across the US, and study the correlation between the phenotypic and genomic traits of these cultivars. I am also responsible for the conditioning of strawberry propagules using precise indoor propagation technology for optimized flowering.
Favorite berry: Strawberry
Fun fact: I love working in folds and formations - origami and soccer
Role: I design and build interactive genomic databases and visualization tools. My current work focuses on developing a Strawberry Genome Browser that makes over 400 GB of complex octoploid genomic data searchable, intuitive, and accessible to researchers through modern web technologies.
Favorite berry: Raspberries
Fun fact: I'm from Wilmington, NC and studying Zoology at NC State
Role: I am undergraduate research assistant at the Very Berry Lab. I help Ibraheem with plant management and data collection.
Favorite berry: Wild blueberries
Fun fact: I play the tuba
Role/ job description: I am undergraduate research assistant and I help graduate students with their daily work.
Lexie was the Viticulture Extension and Research Scholar with the Very Berry Lab. Her work involved developing a viticulture extension and an applied needs-driven research program for North Carolina wine-grape growers. She is now a Tree Fruit Horticulture Extension Agent at Washington State University.
Caleb was an undergraduate lab assistant with the Very Berry Lab for two years. He worked mainly with Kyle Freedman on his PIVC project, studying and experimenting with European-style wine grapes to speed up their fruiting capacity.
Kyle earned his PhD in Horticultural Science from NC State, focusing on viticulture and the development of Precise Indoor Vine Conditioning (PIVC), a proof of concept to utilize supplemental light in greenhouse nursery production to increase vine size and fruiting capacity. He is currently the Globsl Segment Manager CEA for Jiffy Group focused on enhancing horticultural propagation and cultivation through innovative substrate solutions.
Kaitlyn was a communications assistant at the Lab from October of 2023 to October of 2024. She worked on the SCRI: PIP-CAP website, podcast editing, and social media management. Her new role is at WECT News as a Digital Content Manager.
Marcella was an exchange PhD student at the Lab from January to June of 2024. She attends Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz da Universidade de São Paulo in São Paulo, Brazil, and researches grapevine production, double pruning, and plastic covering techniques in tropical regions.
Sarah was with the Very Berry Lab for four years as one of our undergraduate research assistants. She now lives and works in the Triangle Area as a professional yoga instructor.
Joy graduated with a MS in Horticultural Science from NC State and is now living in her home state of Michigan. During her time at the Very Berry Lab she focused on evaluating different strawberry cultivars for greenhouse production. Her thesis was titled, "Evaluation of Long-Day and Short-Day Strawberry Cultivars in a Commercial North Carolina Greenhouse".
Leah worked at our lab for two years as an undergraduate research assistant. She graduated from NC State in 2024 and is now living and working in Mexico as a teacher.
Amanda was our lab's first Communications Assistant and worked with us for about two years. She worked on putting together media like YouTube videos to showcase our graduate students, producing dozens of videos and many articles as well. Starting in November of 2023, Amanda accepted a position with the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments as their Regional Project Manager. She is also the owner and operator of NC Science Communications.
Emma was Research Assistant for the Very Berry Lab for almost four years. She also persued a Masters and graduated in 2023 with an MS, evaluating pathogen and weed control with steam in combination with chemical substances. Emma is with University of California Cooperative Extension as the UC ANR Field Advisor for containerized systems with UC ANR Vetura Co, California.
Austin was with the Very Berry Lab for almost six years. He first worked as technician and then pursued a Masters Degree, all while working as a farmer on his family-owned farm, Wrenn's Farm, with his wife Christina. Austin graduated in 2023 with an MHS, evaluating substrates for strawberry greenhouse production. He currenlty is the president of the NC Strawberry Association and operates Wrenn's Farm in Zebulon, NC.
Amanda graduated with an MS in Horticultural Science from the Very Berry Lab, investigating pre-plant fertilizer rates on strawberry performance. She's currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Arkansas in the McWhirt Lab.
Rania was our outreach assistant for almost 3 years. Since August 2021, she works as a Policy Assistant in the North Carolina Governor's Office.
Kiara was a ASPIRE intern in our group in summer 2021 and assessed on root development of grapevine rootstocks under supplemental lights. Kiara just graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a B.S. in Agricultural and Environmental system.
Xiaonan did graduate with an M.S. (Master Thesis) in June 2020 from our program. She graduate with a PhD in Horticulture from the controlled environments research group at NC State in 2023. Currently she is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the NCSU Forest Biotech Group.
Tekan joined our team in August 2018 and graduated in December 2020 with an MHS. He pursues a PhD at NC A&T Greensboro.
Abby worked in our group as a full time technician in summer 2018. Today, she brings value to the NC Extension Service in Buncomb Co. as Area Agent for Agriculture, Livestock and Forage.
Hannah worked as undergraduate research assistant in our lab, mostly on viticulture related questions. She works for E&J Gallo Winery as Viticulturist in Sonoma Co.
Owen was the ‘good saint’ and the cornerstone of our laboratory for more than two years. Owen is currently the Horticulture Extension Agent in Montgomery Co. Owen graduated with a M.S. in the Silva lab at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
