Research Faculty

A
Karla Addesso Insect Chemical Ecology Insect Behavior Plant-Insect Interactions Behaviorally-Based Pest Management Integrated Pest Management	931-815-5155	117 Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center	kaddesso@tnstate.edu	Research Associate Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Director, Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center
Clement E. Akumu Applied Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS Spatial Analysis Risk/Hazard Modeling Land Cover/Land Use Mapping and Change Detection Greenhouse Gases and Predictive Ecosystem Mapping Environmental Management and Policy	615-963-5616	202-M Farrell-Westbrook Complex	aclemen1@tnstate.edu	Research Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Ahmad Aziz Biotechnology Sorghum Genetics Biofuel Feedstock	615-963-1595	204F Farrell-Westbrook Complex	aaziz@tnstate.edu	Research Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

B
Fulya Baysal-Gurel Plant Pathology Mycology Plant Disease Diagnosis Plant Disease Management Integrated Pest management Biological Control of Plant Diseases and Biopesticides	931-815-5143	155 Otis. L. Floyd Nursery Research Center	fbaysalg@tnstate.edu	Research Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Associate Dean of Research
Matthew Blair Plant Breeding Molecular Genetics	615-963-7467	204 Farrell-Westbrook Complex	mblair@tnstate.edu	Research Associate Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Richard Browning Physiology and Genetics in Beef Cattle and Meat Goats	615-963-5837	202D Farrell-Westbrook Complex	rbrowning@tnstate.edu	Research Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

C
Fur-Chi Chen Molecular, biosensor, and immunoassays for food safety applications Risks assessment of food safety practices during processing and storage	615-963-5410	204D Farrell-Westbrook Complex	fchen1@tnstate.edu	Research Associate Professor, Human Sciences

D

Charles Dumenyo Genetics of plant-associated bacteria Soft rot pathogenesis	615-963-5634	111A CARP Bldg.	cdumenyo@tnstate.edu	Research Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

E

F
Aliyar Fouladkhah Antibiotic Resistance Antimicrobial Interventions against Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens Ecology of Planktonic Cells and Biofilms of Food and Environmental Bacteria Foodborne Diseases Epidemiology	615-963-7471	112/114 Laswon Hall	afouladk@tnstate.edu	Assistant Professor Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

G

H

I
Prabodh Illukpitiya Agriculture, natural resource and energy economics	615-963-1877	202P Farrell-Westbrook Complex	pillukpi@tnstate.edu	Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

J

K
Aditya Raj Khanal Agribusiness Finance and Management Small Farm Business, Income Risk and Diversification Technology Adoption Food Security, Food Demand, Economic Development	615-963-4986	204 D, Farrell-Westbrook Complex	akhanal1@tnstate.edu	Assistant Professor Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Agnes Kilonzo-Nthenge Antimicrobial Drug Resistance of Foodborne Pathogens Microbial safety of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Characterization of Microorganisms in Consumer Homes	615-963-5437	103 CARP Bldg.	akilonzontheng@tnstate.edu	Research Associate Professor, Human Sciences
L

Jianwei Li Climate Change Biogeochemistry Soil Science Microbial Ecology Ecosystem Modeling	615-963-5527	114 Agricultural Biotechnology Bldg	jli2@tnstate.edu	Associate Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

M
Margaret Mmbaga Plant Pathology Integrated Disease Management Biological Control Host Resistance	615-963-1386	Agricultural Biotechnology Building	mmmbaga@tnstate.edu	Research Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

N
Samuel Nahashon Poultry Nutrition Animal Biotechnology	615-963-2575	108 Lawson Hall	snahashon@tnstate.edu	Head and Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Dilip Nandwani Vegetable Production (Organic & Conventional) Sustainable Horticulture Tropical Fruits, Roots and Tubers Organic Certification Plant Tissue Culture International Agriculture	615-963-1897	106 B Lawson Hall	dnandwan@tnstate.edu	Research Associate Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

O
Jason Oliver Integrated Pest Management Biological Control Semiochemicals/Trap Development Insect focus groups: Japanese Beetle, Imported Fire Ants, and Wood-Boring Beetles	931-668-3572	118 Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center	joliver@tnstate.edu	Research Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Emmanuel Omondi Industrial hemp agronomy Sustainable agriculture Cropping systems agronomy Conservation agriculture			eomondi@tnstate.edu	Research Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Science
Christine Ondzighi-Assoume Biotechnology Physiology Cell Biology Biochemistry Genetic and Molecular Engineering Bioenergy	615-963-6334		condzigh@tnstate.edu	Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

P
Ankit Patras Optical based technologies for food applications Bioassay testing Fluid optics Application of ozone, ultrasonics, high hydrostatic pressure processing Food Analysis Food Physics Process modeling (Kinetics, optical modeling)	615-963-5619	206 Agricultural Biotechnology Building	apatras@tnstate.edu	Research Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Bharat Pokharel Forest growth and yield models Sampling and experimental designs Forest resources inventory and monitoring Ecological land classification on forest growth and yield modeling Forest site productivity Predictive habitat modeling Modeling wood quality and fibre attributes Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS)	615-963-6054	105 Agricultural Biotechnology Building	bpokhare@tnstate.edu	Research Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Q

R
Sudipta Rakshit Fate of Emerging Contaminants: Pharmaceuticals and metalloids (antimony) Nutrient Cycling (nitrogen and phosphorus) Redox Biogeochemistry of Humic Substances Environmental Remediation	615-963-6058	113 Agricultural Biotechnology Building	arakshit@tnstate.edu	Research Assistant Professor Agricultural and Environmental Sciences


S
Yongming (Simon) Sang Animal Genomics and Immunology	615-963-5183	205B Lawson Hall	ysang@tnstate.edu	Associate Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Hongwei Si Comprehensive and integrative relationship among nutrients, lifestyle and health	615-963-5443	204I Farrell-Westbrook Complex	hsi@tnstate.edu	Research Assistant Professor, Human Sciences
Bill Sutton Wildlife Biology Herpetology Conservation Biology Biostatistics	615-963-7787	202 G Farrell-Westbrook Complex	wsutton@tnstate.edu	Research Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

T
Ali Tahari Plant Molecular Genetics and Breeding High-throughput genotyping and phenotyping Functional genomics	615-963-6056	111 Agricultural Biotechnology Building	atahari1@tnstate.edu	Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences


V

W
Anthony Witcher Sustainable nursery crop production with an emphasis on weed management, crop nutrition, and alternative soil/substrate amendments	931-815-5147	165 Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center	awitcher@tnstate.edu	Research Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Ying Wu Product development for prevention of chronic diseases; Chemical and physical characterization of food components; Rheological investigation of biomaterials; Physiological evaluation of food components with health benefits; Mechanism elucidation of structure-functionality relationships of polysaccharides; Encapsulation of probiotics, antibiotic alternatives and nutraceuticals for food/feed application;	615-963-6006	114 Agricultural Biotechnology Building	ywu@tnstate.edu	Research Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Y
De’Etra Young Urban and Community Forestry Management Urban Forestry Education Hydrological Modeling Forestry in the Wildland-urban Interface	615-963-5123	202 Agricultural Biotechnology Building	dyoung23@tnstate.edu	Associate Dean of Academics and Land-grant Programs and Associate Professor

Z
Suping Zhou Genetics, Physiology and Molecular Biology of Abiotic Stress in Plants	615-963-2146	202J Farrell-Westbrook Complex	zsuping@tnstate.edu	Research Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences