January 2024 Spotlight
Breh Ruger: First Year PhD Student in Wooster
About: I am from Battle Creek, MI. I went to undergraduate at Albion College, and I graduated with a B.A. in History and Biology. My advisor is Dr. Ashley Leach, and I am a first-year PhD student!
Research: My research is focused on the interactions between insecticide usage, pollination, and marketable yield in seedless watermelon cropping systems.
Get to know!
1. If your pet could talk, what do you think they might say about you?
My cats would probably say “Who are you?” because it's their world and I’m just living in it. I simply provide the food.
2. What do you dislike that everyone else seems to like? Or the opposite, what do you like that everyone else seems to dislike?
I LOVE pineapple on pizza. My go-to pizza order is to order pineapple as the only topping. I also love any kind of flavored sparkling water (La Croix, Bubly, San Pellegrino). Most people say they taste like nothing, but I can’t go a day without drinking 2-3 cans.
3. What did you want to be when you grew up?
Until I was a Junior in high school, I was set on becoming an artist and not going to college. I love drawing, painting, collage, and honestly, any other types of art. I did an independent study in high school for art, and I was featured in several art shows and competitions! I still am really into crafting (crocheting and painting mainly). But, I also really loved science, so I chose to take that path instead, but I will always find a way to be creative in anything I do!
Matt Wolkoff: PhD Candidate in Columbus
About: I'm originally from the Pocono mountains in Northeast PA, but have since lived in Washington, DC; Tyler, TX; and Charlottesville, VA before moving to Columbus. My advisor is Dr. Megan Meuti, and I am a PhD candidate in the Entomology department.
Research: I'm interested in the molecular regulation of circadian and seasonal rhythms in insects, specifically in the Northern House mosquito, Culex pipiens. I'm also broadly interested in the ecophysiology, evolution, and population genetics of arthropod disease vectors.
Get to Know!
1. What's your biggest irrational fear?
My biggest 'irrational' fear is chimp attacks, though I feel strongly that this is in fact a very rational fear. There are ~200 privately-owned chimps in the US, with untold numbers unreported by illegal owners. Mature chimps are several times stronger than any human; and can move at speeds of ~25 mph, about as fast as an Olympic runner. A particularly determined specimen could therefore traverse the entire continental US in just over one week, assuming that it at no point figured out how to operate a motor vehicle or don a disguise and purchase a plane ticket.
2. What’s the farthest or most interesting place you’ve been?
The farthest/most interesting place I've been is Tanzania, which I traveled to in 2016 to hike Kilimanjaro with several friends.
3. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten?
Probably the most unusual thing I've consumed was a fermented, loaded bloody marry I accidentally created after leaving the mix in a cooler for several days following a horse race. I believe the addition of feta cheese inoculated the mixture with lactobacillus, leading to a fermentation reaction which imparted effervescence and a kombucha-esque flavor to the beverage. 8.5/10