300 Hour Experience
Agricultural Research Internship
I spent Summer 2021 working as a Research Intern at Penn State's Fruit Research and Extension Center in Biglerville, Pennsylvania. I worked 40+ hours per week for 11 weeks in an Entomology Lab under Dr. Greg Krawczyk implementing integrated pest management practices in pear, apple, cherry, and peach orchards.
Overview
Working on a research team with two lab technicians, a master's student, and two other undergraduate students, I had the opportunity to develop my laboratory and fieldwork skills. We performed outreach work, taking insect samples from local farms and assisting in pest management strategies recommendations for landowners. The lab team also conducted many bioassay tests in the laboratory to measure pesticide efficacy.
The Spotted Lanternfly
The majority of my work was on the spotted lanternfly. This invasive pest is making its way across the country and causing harm to the Pennsylvania Fruit Industry by killing most of the vines and branches they lay their eggs in. We took surveys of spotted lanternfly damage in local vineyards, raised colonies in captivity, and constructed a wall to deter them from entering a vineyard growing area.
