Executive Team
President: Ophelia Tsai
Ophelia is a Third year Ph.D. candidate in the Agronomy program under Dr. Shawn Conley in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences at UW-Madison. She obtained her M.S. degree in Horticulture in 2024 and is currently researching soybean nitrogen dynamics using isotope analysis. Ophelia enjoys gardening, crocheting, and taking her dogs Chloe and hazel for a hike in her free time.
Vice President: Eduardo (Eddie) Barrigan
Eddie is a second year Ph.D. student studying Botany. Originally from Southern California, he always had an interest in plants fostered by his parents. During his undergrad, he became very interested in the form and function of plants and how different climates have led to incredible plant adaptations. Currently, he has become focused on how plants dynamically balance water loss and carbon. He combines plant anatomy and measurements of gas exchange to better understand this question. In his free time he likes to ride his bike around Madison and play pool with his buddies.
Treasurer: Annika Pratt
Annika is a fourth year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Plant Pathology. She is interested in genetics of fungal plant pathogens. She graduated from Concordia College – Moorhead in 2022 with a BA in Biology, Computer Science, and Spanish. She joined the Fungal Interactions Lab and the Kabbage lab at UW-Madison in 2024 where she is studying Starships in the plant pathogens Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Macrophomina phaseolina. Outside of the lab, Annika enjoys figure skating, volunteering at the Wildlife Center, and cheering on the Green Bay Packers!
Representatives
Student Engagement and Outreach Representative:
Amit Sharma
Bio Coming soon.
Agroecology Representative: andy Daza
Andy is a second year Agroecology M.S. student interested in the role of community-engaged agroecology in creating food sovereignty as well as restoration and climate resiliency outcomes. Andy holds a Geography degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and has worked in GIS, urban farming education, and drinking water quality regulation roles before joining us in Madison. Currently, Andy conducts polenta corn breeding and post-harvest quality research as part of Team Sweet, and is working towards a project on women-led agroforestry movements in Bolivia as co-advised in SHALL. In their free time, Andy enjoys printmaking and being outside.
Agronomy Representative: Amparo Daza
Amparo is a PhD student in de Leon’s Lab in the Department of Plant & Agroecosystem Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on maize, with particular emphasis on cold tolerance at early stages and on the relationships among the stay-green trait, grain moisture, and yield. Additionally, using diverse tools for advanced phenotyping. Her career began in Chile, where she earned her Agronomy degree, followed by several years of active work at a seed company.
Beyond her research, Amparo is active in the academic community, serving as the Agronomy Representative on the Plant Sciences Graduate Student Council and as a mentor with the Lumiere Foundation.
Botany Representative: Ben Brown
Ben is a first year PhD student in the Botany program. His research in the Maeda lab studies the molecular mechanisms regulating aromatic amino acid metabolism in plants, with Arabidopsis thaliana serving as his model organism. In addition to his role as PSGSC Botany Representative, Ben serve as the graduate student mentor to the UW-Botany club. He is also pursuing a Certificate in Higher Education Teaching and Learning through UW’s Delta Program. Outside of academia, Ben is an avid long-distance runner, rock climber, and baker of many sweet treats.
Entomology Representative: Morgan weissner
Morgan is currently an Entomology PhD student working in the Vegetable Crop Entomology Laboratory under the guidance of Dr. Russell Groves. she is an applied entomologist, and have received both her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Entomology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. her current research focuses on evaluating the long-term effects of sublethal insecticide exposures on the Colorado potato beetle, which is a major pest of potato in Wisconsin. When morgan’s not working with countless beetles, you can find her searching for cool insects in some of Madison’s abundant natural areas.
Horticulture Representative: Danielle (Danny) Davis
Bio coming soon.
Plant Pathology Representative: Lucia hyzer
Bio coming soon.
Plant Breeding & Plant Genetics Representative: Yizhou Mao
Yizhou is a fourth-year PhD student in Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics working in the Cranberry Molecular Physiology Lab. His research focuses on cranberry fruit development and quality using integrative approaches, including metabolomics, transcriptomics, and genetic mapping. By combining fieldwork with laboratory analysis, he aims to uncover biological mechanisms underlying key fruit quality traits, particularly sugar and organic acid composition in cranberry. During the growing season, Yizhou conducts field sampling in northern Wisconsin, collecting fruit at different developmental stages for downstream analysis. Outside of research, he enjoys staying active by playing tennis, badminton, and pickleball with friends, and values maintaining a balance between academic work and recreation.
Soil Science Representative: Jordan Cargill
Bio coming soon.
Integrative Biology Representative: Shiqi Zheng
Shiqi is a first-year Ph.D. student in Integrative Biology program where she works in the Damschen Lab. Her research focuses on plant community ecology and restoration, with particular interest in how species diversity and functional traits influence ecosystem functioning. She is also interested in improving the ability to predict restoration outcomes by integrating field experiments with statistical modeling approaches. Outside of research, Shiqi enjoys playing badminton, video games, reading, and gardening.
PSGSC 2026 