Each year the Tennessee Extension Internship Program allows students from across the state to explore what it is like to work in Extension. This year, two students interned under the Department of Plant Sciences and one alum of the department interned with the Soil, Plant and Pest Center. Read on to find out more about these students and their experiences!

Rachel Duncan

Rachel Duncan is a current Plant Sciences student with a concentration in Sustainable Landscape Design, who interned under Dr. Bruno Pedreira this summer focusing on forages. During her internship she worked on social media, attended farm visits, helped plant variety trials, and much more! In the future, Rachel says she hopes to work as a landscape architect.

Julianne Kos

Julianne Kos currently attends UT and interned under Dr. Natalie Bumgarner. During her internship Julianne worked on cut flower fertility trials of zinnias and celosias. Specifically, she helped collect data on stem height and density against different fertility levels and cultivar types.

Lamara Stuart

Lamara Stuart graduated this May from the Department of Plant Sciences with a concentration in Public Horticulture. This summer she interned with the Soil, Plant and Pest Center under Dr. Sylvia Gomes Moraes. During her internship Lamara assisted a guest lecture, received and uploaded plant sample information, created informational rack cards on common pests and diseases, and more! Starting in September Lamara will be serving with AmeriCorps working in urban forestry with the City of Knoxville.

Are you a member of the Department of Plant Sciences and would like to be featured? If so, let us know by emailing Victoria Cavaliere at vcavalie@utk.edu.

By Victoria Cavaliere