Meet Kelsey Andersen Onofre, PhD, assistant professor and wheat extension specialist in the Department of Plant Pathology at Kansas State University (KSU). As part of the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI) Integrated Management Coordinated Project (IM-CP), her research focuses on evaluating fungicide efficacy combined with genetic resistance for hard red winter wheat in Kansas.

From One Blight to Another

Andersen Onofre is originally from New Jersey. She obtained her bachelor of arts in biology from Lafayette College. As an undergraduate, Andersen Onofre worked in a lab that researched the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of potato late blight and notoriously known in history for leading to the Irish potato famine. During this time, “I fell in love with plant pathology, particularly with the intersection of microbiology and food security,” says Andersen Onofre.

In 2011, she started her M.S. degree in plant pathology at the Ohio State University, under the direction of Pierce Paul. Her project was focused on epidemiology and management of Fusarium head blight of wheat and was funded by the USWBSI. After completing her M.S., she spent three years in industry researching soybean diseases. In 2020, she graduated with her doctorate degree from the University of Florida where she studied modeling epidemics in seed systems of vegetatively propagated crops to inform landscape-scale intervention strategies, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. “I’ve been very fortunate to have excellent mentors along the way including Pierce Paul, Larry Madden, Karen Garrett, and many others,” says Anderson Onofre.

In 2020, she joined the faculty at KSU and in 2021 came full circle. “I feel fortunate to able to join the Initiative as a PI a decade later,” says Andersen Onofre. She enjoys being a part of the IM-CP and being able to provide invaluable data to her producers every year. Due to the friendly and collaborative nature of the coordinated project, new products can be tested across multiple locations and years which enables extension specialists to get this information back to growers quickly. While the project is highly practical, she likes that it provides long term data sets that researchers can use to develop and improve the FHB forecasting models.

Find What You Enjoy Most and Pursue It

Once a graduate student herself, she suggests one identify what they enjoy most, whether that be lab work, writing, mentoring, data analysis, networking, outreach, etc., and pursue opportunities that will allow you to utilize those skills. “Also, don’t be afraid to take some risks along the way,” says Andersen Onofre.

If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Kelsey Andersen Onofre's research, visit her faculty webpage.

You can also check out the series of previous USWBSI Featured Researchers.