Meet The Team

| NDSU - iGEM 2023

Wyatt Warkenthien

President and Fundraising
Team

    I am a Fourth year Biotechology and Microbiology student. I am the President of our team, with my primary focus being, fundraising, project planning, and donor relations. I thoroughly enjoy iGEM because it gives students a chance to run their own project and contribute to solving real issues in the world. My favorite pollinator is Osmia cornuta, it is a species of wild bee that is very efficient at pollinating apples.

Abigail Hoffarth

Vice-President, Education, and Human Practices Team

    I'm a fourth year undergraduate studying Microbiology and Biotechnology. My roles within the club include being on the education committee, generating community interest for the project, and running the social media accounts. I enjoy being on the team because it gives me exposure to the public facing side of science, since I am used to doing laboratory work. My favorite pollinator is a monarch butterfly.

Ashton Esco

Treasurer and Fundraising
Lead

    I am a second year undergraduate student studying Biotechnology. This yearʻs project has introduced me to synthetic biology and its applications. My favorite wildflower is fireweed.

Sierra Preabt

Outreach Coordinator, Wiki and Human Practices Team

    I'm a fourth year undergraduate student studying Psychology and Neuroscience. This year's project has introduced me to new ways of utilizing synthetic biology to better the world while also helping to introduce these concept to our cmmunity. Favorite wild flower: Buttercups

Joseph Olsen

Secretary and Human Practices Lead

    I am a third year biotech major at NDSU. I joined the club to get further opportunities to see more people within my major and get more familiar with the development process. I am the human practices lead and work on the social media and collaboration with other iGEM teams. My favorite wildflower is the butterfly milkweed or asclepias tuberosa.

Jake Schumacher

Research Team

    I am a second-year microbiology graduate student studying the rhizobia-legume symbiosis and my primary involvement in our iGEM project is in research and wet lab. I find a lot of value in iGEM because it’s a rare opportunity to work on my experimental design and synthetic biology skills. My favorite pollinator is the fig wasp, and my favorite wildflowers are columbine.

Caroline Osborne

Research, Education and Wiki Team

    I'm a second year Master's student in Genomics and Bioinformatics, and I help the team with education, lab work, and wiki deveoplement. I like being on the team because I get to problem solve with real world problems, and my favorite wild flower has to be larkspur!

Emily Anderson

Wiki Lead

    I am a third year Computer Science major student. I am on the wiki team and am the lead coder. I enjoy iGEM as it allows me a chance to work on my project management skills and build a website outside of a classroom. My favorite wildflower is the Purple Loosestrife or the Lythrum Salicaria.

Mia Haugan

Research Lead and Education Team

    I'm a fourth year microbiology and biotechnology student as well a first year masters student doing research on symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria. Currently I coordinate the research committee. Being part of GEC has allowed me to improve my lab skills and to gain more experience in leading a team. My favorite pollinator is the rusty patch bumblebee.

Miranda Vanderhyde

Education and Research Team

    I am a second-year graduate student studying the soil microbiome. In the club I am involved in the education and research committees and wet-lab work. iGEM allows me to learn about areas of microbiology and biotechnology that are outside my field of study as well as how to communicate science more effectively with the public. My favorite pollinator is the alfalfa leafcutter bee (Megachile Rotunda).

Sarah Nash

Human Practices and Research Team

    I am a fourth year ecology student at NDSU who does student research with a USDA and NDSU joint insect lab. My interests are in creating innovative solutions to long standing problems that can be used for commercial, recreational, and wild purposes. I joined GEC to be a part of designing and developing a product that can do just that. I am a team member of the research committee. My favorite bee is the orchard mason bee (osmia lignaria)

Frank Jirik

Fundraising Team

    I am a third year bioloy student at NDSU who is doing research on house sparrows. My interest are in biology and chemistry. I joined Gec to be a part of a team and learn more about microbiology. I am the secretary and my favorite wild flower is the yellow buttons.

Barney Geddes

Advisor

    I run a research lab in the Department of Microbiological Sciences at NDSU that thinks a lot about engineering microbes and microbiomes. Our work aims to improve sustainable agriculture by harnessing the plant microbiome. I also teach Microbial Genetics and Microbial Genomics. My favorite pollinator is the honeybee. This is because I kept bees for a year in 2018 and really enjoyed interacting with them (and their honey!)