We are always looking for awesome people to join the lab, but available positions may vary. If you are interested in joining the Walters lab, please send a CV and statement of interest to waltersk@utk.edu

We are hiring! Seeking two graduate students, PhD students preferred, or MS students with some CE experience.
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Walters Lab Spring of 2022 (minus Yuka) Donating extra kale to Second Harvest food pantry. Left to right: Dustin, William, Kellie, Rose, Spencer, Jessica, Griff, Kathleen, Sarah, Ethan

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Dr. Kellie Walters
Assistant Professor
waltersk@utk.edu
​(865) 974-8822

Sarah Parker
​Research Associate II
The lab's right hand!

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Post-Doctoral Research Associates

Protiva Das

Jianyu Li

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Graduate Students

Ethan Darby
MS Graduate Research Assistant
​Project: Modeling leafy greens physiological and biochemical responses to light intensity and successive harvest 
Honors and awards:

• Tom and Emily Austin Outstanding MS Graduate Student
• First Place Oral Presentation (MS Student) Department of Plant Sciences Research Symposium
• NCERA 101 Travel Grant
• ASHS Annual Conference Travel Grant
• Plant Research Center Travel Grant

Spencer Givens
MS Graduate Research Assistant
Project: The interaction of air and nutrient solution temperature on culinary herb physiological and biochemical responses
Honors and awards:

• Rocky Top Research Coach
• Outstanding Research Mentor Award - Graduate Student, Office of Undergraduate Research
• Edward Neal Duncan Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research, Herbert College of Agriculture
• Third Place Poster Presentation (Undergraduate) Department of Plant Sciences Research Symposium 
• Herbert Scholars Summer Internship Program
• Office of Undergraduate Research Faculty Research Assistant
• Second Place Oral Presentation (Undergraduate) Department of Plant Sciences Research Symposium
• NCERA 101 Travel Grant
• ASHS Annual Conference Travel Grant
• Plant Research Center Travel Grant
  

Conlan Burbrink
PhD Graduate Research Assistant
Project: Determining sole-source light requirements to keep turfgrass to FIFA standards.

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Undergraduate Students

Maggie Whittington
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Major: Plant Sciences
Concentration: Horticulture Production and Science
​Project: Characterizing the role of nutrient disorders on beneficial plant phytonutrients
Honors and awards:

• Office of Undergraduate Research Faculty Research Assistant
• Vic and Margaret Ball Internship

Siena Jobkar
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Major: Plant Sciences
Concentration: Horticulture Production and Science
Project: Successive harvests of leafy greens
​Honors and awards:

• Office of Undergraduate Research Faculty Research Assistant

Julia Pope
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Major: Plant Science
​Concentration: Horticulture Production and Science
Project: Light Intensity Affects Biomass and Anthocyanin Accumulation in Microgreens
​Honors and awards:

• Office of Undergraduate Research Faculty Research Assistant

Hannah Schmidt
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Major: Environmental and Soil Sciences and Anthropology

Kayla O'Mary
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Major: Plant Sciences
Concentration: Horticulture Production and Science
Project: The influence of light intensity on micro-mini tomatoes in a vertical farm
Honors and awards:

• Office of Undergraduate Research Advanced Undergraduate Research Activity Recipient

Nathan Wade
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Major: Plant Sciences
Project: Phytonutrient changes over successive kale harvests

Evan Ferris
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Major: Biology

Jenna Tyminski
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Major: Environmental Sciences

Kyle Robbins
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Major: Wildlife and Fisheries

Jessica Myers
Undergraduate Research Assistant
​Major: Plant Sciences
Concentration: Horticulture Production and Science

Abigail Stem
Undergraduate Research Assistant
​Major: Plant Sciences
Concentration: Horticulture Production and Science

Annie Edmisten
Undergraduate Research Assistant
​Major: Plant Sciences
Concentration: Horticulture Production and Science

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