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 environmental stressors have lead to incredible plant adaptations. Currently, he has become focused on how plants dynamically balance water loss and carbon. He combines anatomical and bio-physical measurements of gas exchange to better understand this question. In his free time he likes to ride his bike around Madison and play billiards with his friends.
Treasurer: Annika Pratt
Annika is a fourth year PhD student working in the
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
Bio coming soon.
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 my 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
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 at UW-Madison 