Team Members

Cory is a senior at the University of Kentucky majoring in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering with a focus in bioenvironmental and water resource management. He has been an undergraduate research assistant under Dr. Ford, Ph. D., since sophomore year of college. During his time as a research assistant he has aided in several different projects focusing on the collection and analysis of water samples. Cory participated in the 2018 SENSE Workshop. This workshop allowed him to gain viable field and laboratory skills concerning toxic algal blooms. He is currently enrolled in the University Scholars Program and plans on continuing his education by seeking a Master's degree in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky.

Dan is a senior in the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Kentucky with a focus in bioenvironmental engineering. Dan has worked under Dr. Steve Higgins and Lee Moser in both the summers of 2017 and 2018. During his time working under Higgins, the Director of Environmental Compliance, he worked to implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) on UK farms and surrounding farms throughout Kentucky to reduce the environmental impacts of cattle farming on the local environment. Dan is currently deciding whether or not to go to Graduate School or to get a job most likely with an environmental consulting firm.

Gina is currently a senior majoring in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky. Her focus in the department is in bioenvironmental engineering. She is a undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Ford, Ph.D., focusing on processing wetland core samples and sediment trap samples from Fourpole Creek in Huntington, WV. The focus of her undergraduate research is on isotope analysis for a better understanding of nutrient sources and transportation in streams and wetlands. She also was employed by Alltech in 2017 for a internship. Her internship consisted of development and application of colorimeteric and electrode biosensors to characterize nutrient uptake kinetics in algae cultivation. She also is a participant of the SENSE partnership between multiple universities, focusing on water quality issues, such as, toxic cyanobacteria blooms. Gina is University Scholar and plans to continue her education by pursuing a Master's degree at the University of Kentucky.

Julia is a senior at the University of Kentucky majoring in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering with a focus in bioenvironmental. She has been an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. David Hildebrand Ph. D in Plant and Soil Science for almost two years. This research entails increasing the genetic diversity of hemp and rapidly screening for high Cannabidiol (CBD) mutants using hyper-spectral imaging. She mentored first year engineering students in the Engineering Living Learning Program and is actively involved in the Greek organization Chi Omega. After graduation, Julia hopes to find a job in the hemp industry for farm resource management and post-harvest processing.