Meet Niki McMaster, a research associate and manager of the Virginia Tech DON Lab. She joined the lab 15 years ago and since then has diligently worked to oversee the daily routine of testing wheat and barley samples submitted for DON analysis by USWBSI cooperators.

Providing Laboratory Services Inspired by Farm Family

McMaster grew up in rural Virginia. During her childhood, she spent a lot of time on her grandparent’s farm. With her grandmother and aunts being teachers, the family’s main focus was agriculture and education. This helped to shape the foundation for her interest in science at a young age. Following high school, McMaster attended Virginia Tech and earned her bachelor of science degree in biochemistry and chemistry. During this time, she participated in two years of undergraduate research in the biochemistry department. Her mentorship by two lab technicians, left a lasting impression on McMaster. Their encouragement, patience, and guidance, played a vital role in her decision to pursue a career in the lab. Following college, McMaster joined a startup biotechnology company and helped to develop a successful diagnostic testing service. Her experience with generating accurate, reliable data and dedicated customer service led her to the position with David Schmale at the Virginia Tech DON lab.

Mentoring Leads to Lasting Relationships

Since joining the lab, McMaster says she takes pride in the overall track record of service and support it provides to the researchers. She is proud of the broader impact of the data that supports important FHB research. Alongside her dedicated years of service and the tens of thousands of samples analyzed, it’s the students, dissertations, degrees, varieties, and publications she’s aided that she highlights as her biggest accomplishment. “I’m glad to have contributed to these efforts. It takes a village, and I’m happy to play my part,” said McMaster.

For her, the most rewarding part of the job is mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. The Virginia Tech DON lab regularly hires undergraduates to aid with DON analysis and she enjoys teaching and working with them. This position is typically their first introduction to research outside their curriculum; therefore, it’s meaningful to her to be able to shape their initial exposure and pay it forward through the knowledge she gained from her own undergraduate research lab experience.

Another fulfilling aspect of her position is the graduate students. When a graduate student’s project includes a significant mycotoxin analysis component, McMaster has the opportunity to work alongside them. This collaboration has led to many gratifying shared experiences, such as traveling to the annual National Fusarium Head Blight Forum and working together to reach their goal. These experiences have often grown into lasting relationships for McMaster.

Leading with Empathy and Integrity

McMaster has a few pieces of advice for graduate students and early career professionals in her field. First is always wear the personal protection equipment and sunscreen. Second, she recommends occasionally performing the tasks often delegated to others. This allows a person to remind themselves how long a process takes and how tedious it can be which then leads to an assessment of one’s expectations of others and a greater appreciation for assistance. Finally, remember that everyone makes mistakes. It’s critical that every lab member feels comfortable admitting their mistakes. If mistakes aren’t admitted, errors can slip through the cracks which then compromises data integrity. “The truth matters in good research,” said McMaster.

For more information about Niki McMaster’s research, you can reach her via email or visit the VT DON Lab webpage.

To learn more about others in the FHB community, check out all the previous USWBSI Featured Researchers/Advocates.