People
Our Team
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/EOlson.jpg)
Dr. Eric Olson
Assistant Professor
• Ph.D. – Kansas State University
• M.S. – North Carolina State University
• B.S. – University of Wisconsin – Platteville
• email: eolson@msu.edu
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Pennington_Dennis_2013-Cropped-201x300.jpg)
Dennis Pennington
Wheat Systems Specialist
• M.S. – Crop and Soil Science, Michigan State University
• B.S. – Crop and Soil Science, Michigan State University
• email: pennin34@msu.edu
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/42932420240_88dda5f1c0_o-2-810x1024.jpg)
Amanda Noble
Research Assistant II/S
• M.S. – Crop Science, North Carolina State University
• B.S. – Plant and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University
• email: nobleam1@msu.edu
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Sammy.jpg)
Sammy Mitchell
Research Assistant I
• B.S. – Agricultural Education, Michigan State University
• email: mitch859@msu.edu
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MissingPicGuy.png)
Aaron Newberry
Research Assistant I
• B.S. – Biosystems Engineering, Michigan State University
• email: newber36@msu.edu
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MissingPicGuy-1.png)
Amelia Orr
Research Assistant I
• B.S. – Microbiology, Michigan State University
• email: orrameli@msu.edu
Current Graduate and Undergraduate Students
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Jhon-website-1-1019x1024.jpg)
Jhon Concepcion
Ph.D Graduate Research Assistant
• B.S. – Biology, Central Luzon State University
• email: concep10@msu.edu
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Reck_Profile.png)
Tommy Reck
M.S. Graduate Research Assistant
• B.S. – Agricultural Education, Utah State University
• email: reckwill@msu.edu
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/libby-768x1024.jpeg)
Libby Ross
M.S. Graduate Research Assistant
• B.S. – Biotechnology, Ferris State University
• email: rosseli5@msu.edu
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MissingPicGuy.png)
Trent Finegan
Undergraduate Research Assistant
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MissingPicGuy.png)
Mattie Pennington
Undergraduate Research Assistant
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MissingPicGuy.png)
Courtney Zaremba
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Former Graduate Students
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Linda.png)
Dr. Linda Brown
• Ph.D. – Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology, Michigan State University
• B.S. – Agronomy, Iowa State University
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Jeff.jpg)
Jeff Kovach
• M.S. – Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology, Michigan State University
• B.S. – Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Selena-profile-picture-768x1024.jpg)
Selena Lopez
• M.S. – Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology, Michigan State University
• B.S. – Plant Science, University of Minnesota
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/turkus.jpg)
Jon Turkus
• M.S. – Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology, Michigan State University
• B.S. – Biology, Hope College
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Andrew.jpg)
Dr. Andrew Wiersma
• Ph.D. – Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology, Michigan State University
• M.S. – Weed Science, Colorado State University
• B.S. – Plant Biology, Calvin College
![](https://wheat.psm.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/mel-picture-1024x1024.jpg)
Melissa Winchester
• M.S. – Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology, Michigan State University
• B.S. – Biology, Aquinas College