Dr. Jennifer Randall
Dr. Jennifer Randall is a Professor within the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science at New Mexico State University and the current director of the Molecular Biology and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program. Dr. Randall completed her B.S. in Biochemistry, a Master of Science degree in Molecular Biology with a minor in Toxicology and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology studying plant genetics and development at New Mexico State University. As a post-doc, she studied Plant Pathology and began to study plant-microbe interactions.
Dr. Randall is a Plant Molecular Biologist and Plant Pathologist at New Mexico State University. She teaches ‘Experimental systems in Genetics’ , graduate level Bioinformatics, Microscopy, and several special topic courses at NMSU. She mentors undergraduate, graduate students, and post-doctoral associates. Her interests and research program focuses on the genetics and molecular mechanisms of plant development, plant-microbe interactions, and understanding the plant ‘innate’ immune system. There are a number of current projects within her laboratory that are focused on pecan. These include pecan rootstock development, molecular mechanisms of pecan flowering and how this relates to alternate bearing, pecan genetics in collaboration with USDA ARS Pecan Breeding and Genetics in College Station, Texas, USDA-SEFTNL Byron Georgia, Hudson Alpha, University of Georgia, Noble Foundation, University of Arizona, and the University of Tokyo. An investigation into the endophytic microbial community that is within pecan is also underway.
Dr. Randall is also a molecular plant pathologist and has diagnosed and researched several economically destructive pathogens on several crop species. Some of these diseases that are currently being researched in the Randall Lab include Pistachio Bushy Top caused by Rhodococcus spp. (Stamler et al., 2015a, Stamler et al., 2015b), Pecan bacterial leaf scorch caused by Xylella fastidiosa, chile root rot caused by Phytophthora capsici, and Phymatotrichum root rot.
Dr. Kimberly Cervantes
Kimberly Cervantes graduated from New Mexico State University in May of 2014 with her Bachelors of Science in Agriculture, majoring in Agricultural Biology and earning two minors in Biology and Biochemistry. After graduation she worked as a DNA Analyst at the Genetic Testing Laboratories with General Genetics Corporation. Kim finished her Master’s of Science in Agriculture with Dr. Randall and graduated December 2017. Her research was based on a bacterial phytopathogen calledXylella fastidiosa in,Carya illinoinensis (pecan). In spring of 2022 Kim accomplished a Doctorate of Philosophy in Molecular Biology under Dr. Randall’s guidance investigating the microbiome of pecans. Now she is a postdoc in Dr. Randall’s lab focusing on the vivipary of pecan along with overseeing and mentoring students in the Randall lab.
Andra Andazola
Andra is from Carlsbad, New Mexico. She graduated from NMSU with a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetic Sciences and a B.A. in Spanish. Although her degrees are not directly related to the work done in Dr. Randall’s lab she has become an integral part of several projects including tissue culture and an ongoing flowering project. She plans on pursuing a Master’s degree in counseling.
Kaitlyn Mason
Kaitlyn joined Dr. Randall’s team as a high school senior through the EXCEL internship program. In 2017, she graduated from Arrowhead Park Early College High School with an Associates of Science and an Associates of Arts from DACC. She has been working in the lab since she graduated and has been pursuing her Bachelors in Genetics and Biotechnology at NMSU. Kaitlyn has worked on several projects in the Randall lab including antibiotic treatments of Xyllela fastidiosa micronutrient assays, and flowering gene bioinformatics for pecan. She completed her BS May 2021 and her MS in molecular biology in 2023 at NMSU.
Maddy Marcus
Maddy is from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is currently studying genetics and biotechnology at NMSU. She began working with the lab through a special topics course taught by Dr. Randall and eventually became a research assistant in the summer of 2021. Maddy plans to pursue a career in genetic counseling in the future.
Paul Oladimeji Gabriel
Paul Oladimeji Gabriel is from Nigeria where he received his Bachelors and Masters of Technology degrees in Microbiology and Food Microbiology respectively. He is currently pursuing a PhD in molecular biology at NMSU under Dr. Randall’s supervision with a focus on pecan microbiome and the gene expressions of pecan roots and nutrient uptake channels.
Anna Harmon
Anna is from Owasso, Oklahoma. She graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University in May 2020 with her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. She graduated from New Mexico State University in December 2022 with her Master of Science in Molecular Biology & Interdisciplinary Life Sciences. Her research, conducted in the labs of Dr. Elba Serrano and Dr. Jennifer Randall, studied the effects of hypergravity on seed germination and root extension in crop plants. Anna is now pursuing a PhD in Molecular Biology & Interdisciplinary Life Sciences under Dr. Randall’s guidance.
Alexa Arnedo
Alexa is from El Paso, Texas, she graduated in spring 2023 from New Mexico State University with her B.S. in Agriculture majoring in Agriculture Biology. While pursuing her bachelor's Alexa worked under Dr.Walker in the extension department doing research in chile and uncommon vegetables. Alexa is now pursuing a master of science in molecular biology under Dr.Randall.
Sahithi Reddy Pulicherla
Sahithi is from India where she completed her Bachelors of science with a major in Agriculture and Masters in Genetics and Plant Breeding in which she had worked on Phenotypic and molecular characterization of Castor. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Molecular Biology and Interdisciplinary life sciences at NSMU under the supervision of Dr.Randall and she is working on studying the genetics of abiotic stress responses in pecan.
