Graduate Research Assistant Profiles

Aubrey Teckam
Aubrey Teckam recently graduated from the Chico State College of Agriculture with her bachelor’s degree in plant and soil science. She has previous research experience in cover cropping, but more notably MAS almond breeding with Sierra Gold Nurseries in the northern California valley. Her master’s degree thesis will focus on hybrid hazelnut breeding with Dr. Ron Revord’s Nut Breeding Lab. In her free time she loves hiking, paddleboarding, and just getting out and exploring with friends and family. Photo by Jason Halley/University Photographer/Chico State.

Nahom Ghile
Nahom, an Ethiopian alumnus of Earth University Costa Rica, graduated in 2016 with a B.S. in Agricultural Science and Natural Resource Management. In Spring 2023, his journey continued at Mizzou, where he embarked on his Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Chung-Ho Lin, serving as both a Ph.D. student and a graduate research assistant Nahom’s academic passion revolves around natural products and metabolomic profile. Nahom’s primary research centers on exploring the impact of long-term cover-cropped organic farming practices on the development of disease-suppressive soils. He is working with the aim of elucidating the biological functions of molecules that suppress the development of diseases in the soil and soil chemical profile, using the metabolomics approach. In parallel, he engages in a project concerning the identification of bioactive phytochemicals in spent coffee grounds for dietary supplements and cosmetics applications. Beyond his academic commitments, Nahom finds enjoyment in outdoor activities, hiking, biking, and reading.

Raelin Kronenberg
Raelin is currently enrolled in the Natural Resources – Forestry doctoral program and is working as a Research Technician at Lincoln University. Her dissertation explores how forest management practices, including thinning and prescribed fire, can support the development and success of a forest farm. Raelin earned her master’s degree in Natural Resources with an agroforestry emphasis from the University of Missouri in 2022 where she explored landowner perceptions of agroforestry practices for conservation and production. She has a diverse interdisciplinary background in both the social and natural sciences which she applies to her research and outreach work. Raelin also enjoys hiking, baking desserts, and horseback riding when not formally inquiring about the natural work around her.

Ren Klug
Karen “Ren” Klug is pursuing a master’s degree in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Agroforestry. She is advised by Dr. Benjamin Knapp and her thesis research is focusing on sap production characteristics of sugar maple, black walnut, and American sycamore trees. Ren graduated in 2021 from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a B.S. in Environmental Science. Prior to moving to Missouri, Ren worked throughout Pennsylvania for orchards and in natural resources consulting. In her free time, she enjoys crafting and road-tripping.

Ruth Williamson
Ruth graduated from the University of Missouri in 2025 with a bachelor’s in plant sciences (breeding, biology, and biotechnology). After being awarded the 2025 NSF graduate research fellowship and the G. Ellsworth Huggins fellowship, she returned to Mizzou in 2025 to pursue a PhD within Dr. Chung-Ho Lin’s lab. Here she is working to find the connections between why being outside improves people’s physical and mental health. To do this she is working to identify and quantify the naturally emitted plant compounds, also known as phytoncides, and discover how these compounds contribute to the improved well-being people experience by being in proximity to plants. In her free time, she enjoys learning about new science facts through podcasts, reading sci-fi novels, and cherishing the little moments of wonder that we get to experience in this life. 

Tanner Rankin
Tanner is from Berks County, PA and studied Environmental Engineering and Environmental Science at Vanderbilt University. After graduating in 2017, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia, West Africa, where he fell in love with agroforestry. He worked on several projects, including growing native trees for reforestation, establishing fruit bearing trees for food security, and designing living fences to protect trees from livestock. After returning to the U.S. during the COVID pandemic, he hiked part of the Appalachian Trail and road tripped across the country before taking a job with the National Science Foundation. His passion for trees and agriculture drew him to return to school to learn more about agroforestry in the U.S., so he moved to the University of Missouri to begin a degree in agroforestry. He is currently a PhD student in Dr. Ron Revord’s lab performing social science and field research related to chestnuts.

Dylan Sutton
Dylan is a PhD research student in Dr. Samuel Lord’s lab where he studies soil microbial ecology and factors that affect microbial composition and functional capacity in contrasting land uses and management practices. His primary objective with his work is to learn from native ecosystem soil ecology to one day translate benefits into anthropogenic systems, such as agriculture. Dylan has completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Missouri, and his master’s work focused on the impacts of long-term agricultural management practices on soil health in central Missouri. Dylan has an extensive background in soil science both in the lab and in the field. In his free time, Dylan enjoys hiking, gardening, and home renovation projects.

Pradeep Nimantha Herath Hitihamilage
Pradeep is a graduate research assistant in Dr. Morgan Davis’s lab, pursuing a master’s degree in Natural Resources. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Technology and Management with a major in crop production technologies at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. After graduation, he served as a teaching assistant at the same institution. His research examines greenhouse gas emissions and soil moisture dynamics in perennial cropping systems on claypan soils, including work with Kernza and other diversified cropping systems. In his free time, he enjoys walking, exploring natural landscapes, and learning about history and architecture.

Avery Zenke
Avery Zenke graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Agroforestry.  Her advisors, Dr. Harley Naumann and Dr. Hannah Hemmelgarn, are helping guide Avery through her thesis research on cool-season grass establishment and persistence in native warm-season systems. Her focus is on forage nutritive values and producer involvement in agroforestry practices. In her free time, Avery enjoys hiking, birding, and reading. 

Caspar Dowdy
A University of Missouri student in the schools of Journalism and Natural Resources, Caspar been an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Chung-Ho Lin’s lab since 2024. Their research focuses on the capabilities of warm-season grasses to break down and immobilize contaminants in agricultural soils. Outside of the lab, Caspar works on multiple local radio stations as an aspiring environmental reporter (and a late-night alternative music DJ).

Katherine Spitzmiller
Katherine Spitzmiller is from Roscoe, Illinois and studies Biochemistry at the University of Missouri. She has been an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Chung-Ho Lin’s lab since fall of 2024. Her research focuses on the anti-Influenza properties of American elderberry. Outside of the lab, she enjoy hiking, knitting, and going to the gym.