Monica G Pennewitt

Growing up on a farm in Southwestern Ohio, I knew I wanted to work in agriculture at a young age. I soon became very active in FFA, and found my passion for agronomy and plant production agriculture that transitioned into my time studying plant pathology at The Ohio State University. While at Ohio State I had the great opportunity to work in Dr. Terry Niblack's nematology research program assisting with projects, which sparked an interest that has lead me to Iowa State University where I have continued to work with plant-parasitic nematodes and plant diseases.

My current research focuses on soybean host resistance to the soybean cyst nematode (SCN), and effects of biological seed treatments, host plant resistance, and inorganic, and organic chemicals on root-lesion nematodes.

I am currently planning to defend my dissertation for my PhD in early fall of 2023, and hope to start my career in field research, extension education and scientific communication. Ultimately my objective is to become a professional in the study of agronomy and plant pathology with the ability to research, scout, diagnose and treat diseases and other yield inhibitors in order to serve fellow agriculturalists in the United States and abroad.