Agriculture Research Assistantships
A number of graduate assistantships are available for qualified full-time thesis-track Environmental Studies students. These assistantships are typically funded through research grants from state and federal agencies.
Graduate assistants are required to assist with research relevant to the grant objectives for 20 hours per week while attending classes, and full-time during the summer semester. Compensation packages include competitive stipends and in some cases tuition remission. Research opportunities are available in the following areas:
| Animal Science | Apiculture | Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems |
| Biomass | Bioenergy | Climate Change |
| Conservation Biological Control | Entomology | Food Systems |
| Forest Management | Fruit Crops | Fruit & Ornamental Plant Breeding |
| Food Safety | Forage | Genetics |
| Genomics | High Tunnels | Land Use Change |
| Organic Agriculture | Ornamental Plants | Water Quality |
Research opportunities are available with the following Graduate Faculty members
- Dr. Anuj Chiluwal
Assistant Professor — agronomic crop production, crop physiology, aerial phenotyping - Dr. Avinash Tope
Associate Professor — food safety in produce, fermentation and distillation - Dr. Buddhi Raj Gyawali
Professor — geospatial application in agriculture & environment, agroecosystems function and process, surface-coal mining impacts, climate change - Dr. Changzheng Wang
Professor — human nutrition, food science - Dr. Chinonso Etumnu
Assistant Professor — agribusiness management, e-commerce, entrepreneurialism - Dr. Farida Olden
Assistant Professor — gene expression, nutrigenomics, honeybee disorders - Dr. Francis Ndar Onduso
Assistant Professor of Forestry — College of Agriculture, Health & Natural Resources and School of Agriculture & Natural resources - Dr. Frederick Bebe
Assistant Research Professor — animal/poultry health and nutrition, trace and toxic elements in animal and human nutrition, environmental and health effects of pesticides - Dr. George Antonious
Professor — pesticide residues, bioremediation, runoff, and erosion management - Dr. Hideka Kobayashi
Assistant Professor — ornamental breeding, niche crops for Kentucky farmers - Dr. Katherine Kamminga
Research Scientist — integrated pest management, entomology - Dr. Kirk Pomper
Professor - fruit horticulture production, plant breeding, biodiversity, fermentation, distillation - Dr. Maheteme Gebremedhin
Associate Professor — soil health & conservation, regenerative farming, bio-meteorology, agroecology - Dr. Manisha Parajuli
Assistant Professor of Forestry — forest management, forest operations and wood products, agroforestry, UAVs and Lidar in forestry - Dr. Marcus Bernard
Dean of College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources — economics of agroecology and rural sociology - Dr. Michael F. Wempe
Assistant Professor — environmental toxicology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, plant metabolism, DMPK/ADME - Dr. Milon Chowdhury
Assistant Professor — greenhouse technology, hydroponics, nutrient dynamics, vertical farming - Dr. Pamela Obura
Visiting Assistant Professor— organic vegetable production, farmscaping, and bioenergy, sustainable agriculture and organic agroecosystems - Dr. Sait Sarr
Research Scientist — urban food systems, sustainable agriculture - Dr. Sarah N. Carr
Assistant Professor of Animal Science, School of Agriculture and Natural Resources - Dr. Siddhartha Dasgupta
Professor — economics and marketing of small-scale farms and specialty crops, high tunnels, hydroponics - Dr. Suraj Upadhaya
Associate Professor — social ecological systems (SES), sustainable systems, ecosystem services - Dr. Theoneste Nzaramyimana
Assistant Professor — global food system, urban and organic agriculture, controlled environment agriculture - Dr. Thomas Webster
Professor — honeybee pathology, wintering biology
Contact the Environmental Studies program coordinator to learn more about MES graduate assistantships.
Contact the Office of Financial Aid to learn about other assistance available to KSU students.