Jamal Hunter
M.S. in Entomology from The University of Georgia, 2019
B.S. in Biology from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Baris Tunckol
M.S. in Entomology from The University of Georgia, 2019
Nathan Spaulding
M.S. in Entomology from The University of Georgia, 2020
B.S. in Biology & Chemistry from East Tennessee State University
Joseph Disi – Postdoctoral Research Associate
Ph.D. in Entomology from Auburn University, 2017
M.S. in Crop Genetics & Breeding from Southwest University, 2012
Research Description: I am interested in developing and evaluating effectiveness of management programs for economically important pests of blueberries. The focus areas include (1) conducting field and laboratory-based research projects to investigate biology and ecology of fruit pests, (2) develop best management practices for blueberry insect pests, and (3) exploring evolution of spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) adaptation to insecticides. Currently, I am working on a multidisciplinary project aimed at developing protocols to rear entomopathogenic fungi and evaluate their impacts on life history traits of SWD. This collaboration is aimed at expanding SWD integrated pest management (IPM) tools that are available to blueberry farmers.