Bio

Taynara grew up on a farm, which aroused her interest in agriculture, but that interest further developed when she finished a BS degree in Agronomy from the University of Passo Fundo in Brazil. That led her to an internship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she learned about Midwest US agriculture and improved her English. After that, she moved to NC State to pursue a Master’s degree in Entomology focused on Helicoverpa zea within-plant egg and neonate distribution and influence on yield in soybeans with determinate and indeterminate growth habits. During her Master’s program, she increased the perception of essential aspects of integrated pest management, engaged with growers, attended meetings, conferences, professional development programs and published scientific/extension papers. Immediately after completing her Master’s degree, she was determined to expand her research scope and accepted a PhD position at NC State to study “Thresholds based on AI monitoring tools to effectively manage to stink bugs population in soybeans”. Her research goals are to determine the best monitoring trap for stink bugs in soybeans and determine if different traps catch different species of stink bugs in soybeans. For her GES minor, she aims to understand the landscape complexity of stink bugs and their plant-host interaction using molecular techniques or isotope analyses. Having the GES minor would assist her with this piece of her PhD journey.