Mariana Prieto Torres, a graduating Ph.D. student in Plant Pathology, is originally from Colombia. Her journey into graduate school began with the Kelman Scholars REU program in 2019, where she discovered the vital role of extension as a bridge between research and agricultural communities. Inspired to contribute to this mission, she started her PhD in 2021 in Dr. Lina Quesada’s Vegetable Pathology Lab. Her research focuses on a devastating disease affecting the cucurbit industry in North Carolina. Mariana helped develop important disease diagnostic tools to help growers make informed disease management decisions. During her time at NC State, she has learned the value of collaboration and community, embracing the idea that success is a shared effort.

Tell us about your journey to graduate school and what led you to NC State.
In 2019, I was accepted into the Kelman Scholars Program, a REU program in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology here at NC State. During that undergraduate internship, I learned about extension and how it’s a bridge between the university and the people in the state. I started to understand the impact extension has on agriculture and communities. It was then that I decided to pursue graduate school in a land grant university, because I wanted to be part of the extension mission. In 2021 I was accepted into the Plant Pathology Ph.D. program here at NC State to continue my studies.

Tell us about your research and/or teaching experience.
My Ph.D. research is focused on Pseudoperonospora cubensis, an obligate oomycete pathogen, that causes cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) on a broad range of Cucurbitaceous hosts. Widespread cucurbit crop losses occur in the US on an annual basis, making CDM the primary threat to cucurbit production. At present, the pathogen is mainly controlled with weekly fungicide applications. To reduce the number of fungicide sprays, researchers created a forecasting and alert system of confirmed outbreaks to initiate fungicide sprays. A limitation of this system is that it relies on reports of infected plants when the disease is advanced enough for visual identification. This is challenging since fungicides are most effective when applied preventively or at early stages of infection when the disease is difficult to diagnose. An ideal CDM disease alert system would warn when to initiate the required weekly sprays at a time when fungicides will be most effective. Through interdisciplinary collaborations with engineers at BAE, I have been developing a novel biosurveillance system that combines spore trapping, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sampling, and genomics-based rapid diagnostics for early detection, crop risk, and fungicide resistance in P. cubensis, that would allow growers and agriculture practitioners to sample large-acreage. This research is important because it can inform growers about which cucurbit crop to spray, when to initiate sprays, and what fungicides will be most effective to achieve sustainable and cost-effective disease control while minimizing fungicide resistance.

How has NC State helped you with your professional development?
I believe the university has a lot of professional development resources and help, you just need to know where to look or ask where to find these resources. I have attended lots of useful workshops on various topics such as writing, ETD preparation and others. Additionally, I have been very fortunate to be part of the FFAR Fellows program, a professional development program housed here at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in partnership with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. This has been such a wonderful experience in my graduate school journey that allowed me to be part of a wonderful community and to learn a lot about myself as a professional.

What advice do you have for new or current graduate students?
My advice would be to let go of the fear of mistakes. Mistakes are part of the journey and they play a pivotal role in how we learn. Embrace mistakes and learn everything you can from them to move forward. Its character development. Additionally, never hesitate to reach out for help when you need it.

What does being an NC State graduate student mean to you?
It really means being part of the pack. I truly believe that no one achieves things alone, everything is a shared effort. I am so grateful to be part of the pack.

Fun fact about yourself.
I enjoy watercolor painting and yoga!

Learn more about our Ph.D. in Plant Pathology