CONTACT INFORMATION:

Beverly Jose Agtuca

201 Life Sciences Center

1201 Rollins Road

University of Missouri

Columbia, MO 65211

Email: bjagtuca@mail.missouri.edu

Lab phone No.: 573-884-4799

CURRENT RESESARCH FOCUS:

Studying the interactions of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in Setariaviridis 

EDUCATION:

2014-present: Ph.D. student in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics at the Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, MO

2010-2014: B.Sc. with Honors in Biotechnology and a minor of Microscopy at the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) Syracuse, NY 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES:

August 2010-July 2014: Undergraduate Research Assistant. Phytotechnology Laboratory at the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, SUNY ESF Syracuse, NY, Advisor: Dr. Lee Newman

June-August 2013: Undergraduate Research Assistant. Plant Imaging and Biochemistry Laboratory. SUNY ESF Academic Upper Division Honors Internship at the Department of Biosciences, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) Upton, NY, Advisor: Dr. Richard Ferrieri

June-August 2011 & 2012: Undergraduate Research Assistant. Plant Imaging and Biochemistry Laboratory. Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) at the Department of Biosciences, BNL Upton, NY, Advisor: Dr. Richard Ferrieri

January 2011-May 2012: Calculus & General Chemistry Tutor. Academic Success Center at SUNY ESF, Syracuse, NY

June-August 2009: Research Volunteer. High School Research Program (HSRP) at the Department of Biology, BNL Upton, NY Advisor: Dr. Lee Newman 

PUBLICATIONS:

Agtuca, B., Rieger, E., Hilger, K., Song, L., Robert, C. A., Erb, M., Karve, A., &Ferrieri, R. A. (2014). Carbon-11 reveals opposing roles of auxin and salicylic acid in regulating leaf physiology, leaf metabolism, and resource allocation patterns that impact root growth in Zea mays. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 33(2), 328-339.

Ferrieri, A. P., Agtuca, B., Appel, H. M., Ferrieri, R. A., & Schultz, J. C. (2013). Temporal changes in allocation and partitioning of new carbon as ¹¹C elicited by simulated herbivory suggest that roots shape aboveground responses in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology, 161(2), 692-704. 

AWARDS:

1. 2014: College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources George Washington Carver Fellowship for Doctoral Studies, University of Missouri-Columbia
2. 2014: Graduate School Gus T. Ridgel Fellowship, University of Missouri-Columbia
3. 2014: State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence
4. 2014: Maple Leaf Award for volunteer service to the College community, SUNY ESF
5. 2014: 1^st place Poster Presentation Award for the Emerging Research National Conference, Washington DC, VA
6. 2013: 1^st place Poster Presentation Award for the Biotechnology Symposium, Syracuse, NY
7. 2012: Honorable Mention Poster Presentation Award for the Biotechnology, Symposium, Syracuse, NY 

PRESENTATIONS:

1. Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference. Poster Presentation: Washington DC, VA, February 2014.
2. International Phytotechnology Society (IPS) Conferences. Poster Presentations: Syracuse, NY – October 2013, Portland, OR – September 2011, St. Louis, MO – December 2009
3. Biotechnology Symposiums. Poster Presentations: Syracuse, NY, May 2012, 2013
4. Spotlight on Undergraduate Student Research. Poster Presentations: SUNY ESF Syracuse, NY, April 2012, 2013
5. Statewide Collegiate Science & Technology Entry Program Student Conference. Oral Presentation: Lake George, NY, April 2013
6. International Conference on Soils, Sediments, Water, and Energy. Poster Presentation:Amherst, MA, October 2012
7. Collegiate Science & Technology Entry Program Central New York Symposium. Poster Presentation: Syracuse, NY April 2012
8. Summer Internship Programs Symposiums. Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY:Oral Presentation – August 2012 &Poster Presentations – August 2009-2013