Dr. Senol Yildiz from the Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Bingol University, Bingol, Turkey visited the laboratory of Zafar Handoo from September 11, 2011 through December 5, 2011. They studied taxonomy, morphology and identification of various plant-parasitic nematodes and Dr. Yildiz received training on general systematics and identification of various plant-parasitic nematodes and compared/evaluated various nematode species from the USDA Nematode Collection for his ongoing research.

Dr. Haiyan Wu from the Nematology Laboratory in the College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, China, visited the laboratory of Edward Masler from March 30 through September 27, 2010.  They studied hatching and other behaviors in plant-parasitic nematodes.

Shannon Rupprecht and Jennifer Kramer participated in the BARC-sponsored storm drain stenciling event on October 13, 2010.  The purpose was to enhance awareness of pollution of the Anacostia River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds by urban runoff.

Susan Meyer and Andrea Skantar presented talks about nematodes to a plant pathology class at the University of Maryland on October 7, 2010.

Dr. Samuel B. Orisajo, Principal Research Officer in the Plant Pathology Section of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, was a Borlaug Research Fellow in the laboratories of Susan Meyer and David Chitwood from Marc 3 through May 11, 2010. The Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellows Program, administered by the World Cocoa Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, supports the exchange of cocoa scientists from the Americas, Southeast Asia and Africa. A full report of Dr. Orisajo’s fellowship is at http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/scientific-research/usda-research-update/documents/2010.07.05-SamuelOrisajoCocoaBorlaugFellowshipReport.pdf

Dr. Yanhua Wen, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China, visited the laboratories of David Chitwood, Edward Masler and Susan Meyer from September 16, 2009 through February 25, 2010.  She studied the biological and physiological effects of phytochemicals on nematodes.

Dr. Lynn Carta hosted Dr. Sylvia Vetrone, USDA Kika de la Garza Fellow from Whittier College, CA, from July 5-31, 2009. Dr. Vetrone was a visiting immunologist who came to Dr Carta’s laboratory to learn basic Caenorhabditis elegans culturing and laboratory techniques, to supplement her research program at Whittier College, where she is an Assistant Professor in Biology.