Founded in the spring of 2020, the George Agrios Scholarship was created with the goal of supporting graduate students enrolled in the University of Florida’s Doctor of Plant Medicine Program in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences department.

A well-deserved congratulations is in order for the 2021 George Agrios Scholarship recipient, Hannah Talton!

Hailing from Greensboro, North Carolina, Hannah graduated with honors from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University where she completed her bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Design. Following this, she moved to Gainesville, Florida where she pursued her master’s degree in Entomology.

Under the supervision of Dr. Oscar Liburd, she joined the Small and Vegetable IPM Laboratory in the University of Florida’s Entomology and Nematology Department. Here, her research focused on assessing the phenology and the susceptibility of three different strawberry cultivars when exposed to a seed bug pest, Neopamera bilobata. Upon the completion of her master’s, Hannah joined the DPM program.

Currently, Hannah is working on a collaborative survey and trapping project for Old World Bollworm as well as an integrated organic carrot project in Live Oak, FL. Throughout her master’s and doctoral journey, Hannah has devoted her time to community service, mentorship, and professional development through her involvement in various student organizations, such as Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences Organization (MANRRS), The Black Graduate Student Organization(BGSO), DPMSO. She also serves as the DPM student liaison for the department’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Congratulations, Hannah!

For more information on Hannah’s work with the strawberry seed bug pest, Neopamera bilobata, be sure to check out: Effect of Cultural Practices on Neopamera bilobata in Relation to Fruit Injury and Marketable Yields in Organic Strawberries.

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