LAB MEMBERS
Harold Hickey
Lab Manager and Research Coordinator I grew up in a suburb of Miami, Florida, but I lived in Alexandria, Virginia before moving to Salinas. I earned a BS in Chemistry at the US Naval Academy in 2013. Although I loved working in a research field, my education at the Naval Academy obligated me to active duty service after graduation. Consequently, I served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy from 2013-2020. The highlight of my brief naval career was living and working in the Middle East for three years; in Saudi Arabia as an advisor to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, and in Manama, Bahrain acting as second-in-command onboard USS Typhoon (PC-5), a patrol cyclone-class warship. Although I am grateful for my time in the Navy, in 2020 I chose to leave to pursue my passion, scientific research. I recently completed a MS in Microbiology and Cell Science through the University of Florida, and I am fascinated by a multitude of topics, primarily within Evolutionary and Environmental Biology fields. This is my first research opportunity outside of the Navy, and I am very excited to apply my educational and professional experiences as I work to clarify phylogenetic relationships between Pythium spp. Ultimately, I would like to use my time with the Dundore-Arias lab to gain valuable experience and inform my search for PhD programs. My hobbies include camping, diving, cooking, rugby, and reading. |
Graduate Students
Karla Jasso (M.S. in Environmental Science, 2021 - Present)
Project: Biology and Management of Pythium wilt of lettuce I am a student at California State University, Monterey Bay majoring in Biology with a concentration in Ecology, Evolution and Organisms, and minoring in Environmental Science. Although I call San Francisco my home, I lived in Jalisco, Mexico from 1998 though 2003. My maternal grandparents had a big impact in my life when it came to my career. My grandfather and I would always go birdwatching, while my grandmother and I would go on walks and look at different native plant species throughout the city. These activities sparked my interest in the natural world and encouraged me to pursue a career in the natural sciences. After graduation, I plan on attending graduate school at California State University, Monterey Bay and conducting research on Pythium affecting lettuce. I would like to have a career as a Plant Pathologist or Land Manager for a federal government agency, such as the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service. |
Undergraduate Students
Lettuce Pythium wilt team
Patrick Broderick (BS Agricultural Plant and Soil Sciences)
Project: Genetic characterization of Pythium spp. from the Salinas Valley I grew up in Northern Virginia and have since lived in New York, Washington, and multiple locations in California. I previously worked as a coffee roaster, but decided to fulfill a desire to learn about plants when I discovered Cabrillo College’s horticulture program in Aptos, CA. While enrolled in their program I took a myriad of courses from soil science to microbiology and worked as a hydroponic grower of cucumbers, strawberries, blueberries, and leafy greens in a variety of systems. After attaining my AS-T in Agricultural Plant Science, I transferred to CSUMB with the goal of learning more about biotechnology, plant pathology, and advances in agricultural technologies. It is my hope to pursue further education after my Bachelor’s degree and eventually work as a plant pathologist or in a plant-related technology field. In my free time, I love reading science fiction, banging on drum sets, and exploring all the unique nature we have in the central coast region |
Alex Imperial (BS Agricultural Plant and Soil Sciences)
Project: Characterization and management of Pythium spp. diseases in spinach and lettuce I am currently a third year undergraduate student at CSUMB studying agricultural plant and soil science. I grew up in Monterey and currently live in San Juan Bautista. I cultivated cannabis for 10 years and started taking classes in horticulture at Cabrillo College to fulfill my curiosity. My passion for horticulture and controlled environmental agriculture was nourished there. I worked in propagation, floriculture and hydroponic cultivation of leafy greens and herbs at Cabrillo. After completing my transfer credits I began my next level of learning at California State University, Monterey Bay in working with Dr. JP Dundore-Arias’ Plant Pathology Lab testing different inoculation methods and seed coats. I am excited to continue my path working with Dr. JP! I love cultivating plants and now learning about cultivating different plant pathogens. I am looking forward to my future working in plant pathology and product development. Outside of work and school I love to surf, bike, hike, backpack, camp, golf with my dad, and spend quality time with my partner, our dogs and our friends. |
Jasper Tao (BS Agricultural Plant and Soil Sciences)
Project: Optimization of P. uncinulatum inoculation and disease characterization I’m currently a third year at CSUMB. I'm from San Jose, CA and I'm an Agricultural Plant and Soil Science major. I have worked on projects regarding Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation as a way to suppress Allium White Rot in soils and Pythium wilt of lettuce (studying inoculation methods and a fungicide-coated seedling assay). My hope is to combine the soft and hard skills that I've gained through this lab experience to bridge the gap between scientists, growers, and the business side of Agriculture. My plan is to attend Grad School in order to get to the next step of my journey and my ultimate goal is to work with the UCCE to implement research into applicable methods and serve as a resource for local growers. |
Nathaniel Villafria (BS Agricultural Plant and Soil Sciences)
Project: P. uncinulatum long-term storage and soil inoculum I'm an undergraduate completing a degree in Agricultural Plant and Soil Science with a minor in Computer Science. I grew up in San Mateo, and currently live in Big Sur, California. I originally was a Computer Science major with an interest in robotics, as a member of multiple FIRST Tech Challenge Teams and competed in the Worlds Championship in Houston, Texas. I have continued to work on different robotics-oriented projects on plant growth and indoor growing, including design of my own indoor environmental control and LED lighting projects. Alongside working with the lab currently, I also work at Monterey Bay Horticulture Supply in Marina, California as a consultant and in-house specialty grower. My professional interests include the study of different light spectrums on plant growth, as well as learning and developing protocols for tissue culture, namely for culturally significant and endangered species. I am looking forward to learning about and researching hyperspectral imaging for disease and stress identification |
Keeliah Keelan (BS Biology)
Project: Phenotypic characterization of P. uncinulatum Hi there! I am Keeliah! I am a senior at Cal State University Monterey Bay with a major in Biology concentration in Ecology, Evolution and Organisms and a minor in Japanese Language and Culture. I am from a small town called Paso Robles that is known for its grape vineyards and supposedly delicious wine. I’ve always been surrounded by agriculture, especially now being near the Salinas area, and it's something I would like to continue to pursue within my career. In the future I would love to have a career involving plant pathology, plant disease diagnostics, or anything agriculture technology related. For fun, I enjoy hiking, surfing, skating, minecrafting and spending all my money on my plant collection. |
Grace Hardy (BS Biology)
Project: Pythium wilt - INSV co-occurrence I am a third year undergraduate student at California State University. With the support of an HSI CSU-ARI student fellowship. As part of this project and position, I also work part-time at the USDA ARS station in Salinas where I focus on the INSV portion of the project. Both of these positions are amazing opportunities to gain relevant experience in plant pathology in regards to agriculture. I also work at my university’s tutoring center as a Peer Coach, which focuses on helping students develop effective study habits. My ultimate goal is to follow in Dr. Dundore-Arias’s footsteps and become a lab Principal Investigator and mentor other students and help them achieve their academic and career goals. |
Soilborne Streptomyces Team
Emily Locke-Paddon (BS Biology, Molecular Biology concentration, and minor in chemistry).
Project: Characterizing soilborne Streptomyces and Pythium from agricultural soils I am currently a fourth year undergraduate student at California State University Monterey Bay studying Biology with a concentration in Molecular Biology and a minor in Chemistry. I grew up in Gilroy and went to school in Watsonville, California— two areas rich in agriculture. In the Dr. Dundore-Arias’ Plant Pathology Lab, I perform molecular research focusing on the genetic characterization of soilborne Streptomyces and Pythium from agricultural soil samples to better understand species diversity. I plan to continue my education and pursue my interests in microbiology and plant pathology through a Master’s degree. In the future, I would like to have a career in research either in microbiology, plant pathology, or genetics. In my free time I enjoy hiking, camping, and cooking vegetarian dishes. |
Brittany Zetko (BS Agricultural Plant and Soil Sciences)
Project: Species interactions of Soilborne Streptomyces I am a senior at CSUMB majoring in molecular biology, and my next step is to obtain a masters in plant pathology. I am currently working on studying antagonistic interactions among Streptomyces in the Dundore-Arias lab and it's been a really fascinating experience so far, I'm eager to learn more! I've explored quite a few career paths including hair (didn't finish cosmetology school....), managing an arcade, retail, and bartending/serving. I started attending community college after moving to the west coast from Florida and became interested in science but wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. I took a botany course and thought it was so interesting, especially looking at plant cells/tissues under the microscope! That course and working in the lab has helped me figure out what I want to do within the STEM field. Outside of school and work I enjoy cooking, exploring, reading and hanging out with my cat Simba, |
Alexandra Mallon (BS Biology)
Project: Pathogen Suppressive Soilborne Streptomyces I am currently in my third year at CSUMB majoring in Biology with a concentration in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, and a minor in Environmental Studies. Before living in Seaside, I lived in San Jose for most of my life. I moved to California at a young age with my mom, and I frequently visited family on the east coast. Being exposed to all types of environments I developed a deep love for ecology at a young age. I hope to graduate with my bachelors and go on to a graduate program and receive a degree in Ecology. In my career, I hope to be an environmental consultant and then teach at a university and conduct research. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, gardening, and overall just spending time outside. I also enjoy traveling and seeing new types of ecosystems. |
Research Staff
Tyler Barton (BS Biology, 2022)
Project: Evaluation of lettuce varieties for tolerance to Pythium Wilt
I am a recent undergraduate student who has lived and still lives in Gilroy, CA my whole life and have been surrounded by ag fields for as long as I can remember. I recently graduated with a B.S. in Biology and am currently still working at Dundore-Arias Plant Pathology Lab to further progress my passion and research of this field. I worked on a large varietal trial of lettuce varieties against Pythium in the Salinas Valley and unfortunately discovered that no variety was truly resistant. Currently, I am working on those same varieties in-vitro at a seedling stage to further assess their tolerance and susceptibility levels. Outside of the lab, some of my activities include video games, growing plants, and visiting new places. In the future I hope to continue to be in the research field as my career.
Project: Evaluation of lettuce varieties for tolerance to Pythium Wilt
I am a recent undergraduate student who has lived and still lives in Gilroy, CA my whole life and have been surrounded by ag fields for as long as I can remember. I recently graduated with a B.S. in Biology and am currently still working at Dundore-Arias Plant Pathology Lab to further progress my passion and research of this field. I worked on a large varietal trial of lettuce varieties against Pythium in the Salinas Valley and unfortunately discovered that no variety was truly resistant. Currently, I am working on those same varieties in-vitro at a seedling stage to further assess their tolerance and susceptibility levels. Outside of the lab, some of my activities include video games, growing plants, and visiting new places. In the future I hope to continue to be in the research field as my career.