May 21, 2020
Doctoral candidate receives prestigious early career award
Kansas State University doctoral candidate, Paula Silva, has been named a prestigious Borlaug Global Rust Initiative 2020 Jeanie Borlaug Laube Women in Triticum Early Career Award winner. The award provides training opportunities for innovative women scientists who have demonstrated traction in increasing gender parity in agriculture.
"Paula is an excellent young female scientist, who shows vast potential that will be realized through her hard work and dedication," said Jesse Poland, associate professor of plant pathology and Silva's doctoral advisor. "Along with her demonstrated experience and success, Paula embodies the type of young scientist that we want to cultivate and encourage in their research and career."
Silva joined Poland's lab in 2016 as a Fulbright Fellow, where her research has focused on breeding for economically important and complex diseases such as barley yellow dwarf, rusts and wheat blast.
In addition to her graduate work, in 2019 she was appointed to remotely lead the disease resistance breeding program and coordinate the Precision Wheat Phenotypic Platform for wheat diseases for INIA Uruguay — where she plans to return once completing her doctorate this year.
Join us today at 9 a.m. CDT for the interactive remote 2020 Women in Triticum Early Career and Mentor Award Celebration by registering online.
The hour-long event will feature a discussion panel titled "The Changing Face of Leadership and Research in Wheat." Poland lab alumni and for WIT awardees Sandra Dunkel, 2013, and Sarah "Battenfield" McNeil, 2014, will serve as panelists.