Grace Craigie is a graduate student at Kansas State University working towards a MS in entomology under Dr. Brian McCornack. She received a BS in Biology at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. Her interest in entomology developed from a love of plant biology and plant-insect interactions.
Grace’s current research is aimed at developing more effective monitoring techniques for sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, on sorghum crops. She wants to be able to implement drone and hyperspectral technology to be able to scan potentially infested sorghum fields and determine the level of sugarcane aphids. This could be a great advance in the field of IPM (Integrated Pest Management) as it will create a faster and more accurate way of monitoring for this pest insect.
Grace has enjoyed learning about entomology and practical IMP strategies for dealing with pest insects during her time as a MS student. She hopes to continue her education with a PhD and develop the skills necessary to continue working in a research-based career.