Hi, my name is Claire Spickermann, and I am a second year Plan 1 Master’s student in the Horticulture and Agronomy grad group at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), with a focus on crop improvement and genetics. Currently I'm working in Paul Gepts’s lab with a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of chickpeas.
My interest in plant breeding started out of a curiosity for agriculture in general. Growing up in California, it was very common to drive past fields in production. As a kid I often couldn’t tell what crop was growing in a field or identify which type of tree an orchard had, which made me want to learn more. My interest in plant breeding specifically was sparked by my coursework at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly SLO), where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural and Environmental Plant Science. During the last year of my undergraduate program, I took a class on the seed production industry, which really sparked my interest in plant breeding. After graduation, I completed an internship at Andrew and Williamson, which further cemented my interest in plant breeding.
The project that I have been working on for my master’s thesis is a replicated trial using a Recombinant Inbred Population developed at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) by Aladdin Hamwieh to examine traits associated with drought hardiness. The trial involves both phenotypic evaluations of drought tolerance in the field, and sequencing of each recombinant inbred line. This project aims to help understand the genetic controls associated with the traits that we are examining in order to help prevent losses due to terminal (end of season) drought in non-irrigated Kabuli chickpeas.
Over the course of my master’s here at UC Davis, being able to work on a project that has both field and lab portions involved in it has been incredibly valuable to me. This has allowed me to develop a diverse skill set that will serve me well for continuing on in academia and in industry. Implementing the field trial component of the project has given me the chance to develop large scale organization and project management skills. Working with the sequencing data has helped me to develop new skills in statistical and bioinformatic programing. With seminars and conferences being moved to an online format this year, I have been able to explore a wider variety of conferences and talks than I would have normally, for which I am grateful. Being here at UC Davis has given me the opportunity to be part of an international community of people with whom I share similar interests, allowing me to widen my knowledge of agriculture.
The best advice I can give incoming students is that getting to know your fellow students is your best opportunity for success. Through my relationships with my peers, I have found opportunities to build new skills, such as volunteering on the Horticulture and Agronomy student association social committee, running the outreach social media accounts, and organizing socially distanced recreational events. Many of the opportunities that I have found at UC Davis such as industry tours, networking events, study groups and interesting seminars have come from talking with other people in classes, labs and industry events. Making an effort to reach out to my peers has helped me build a support network here at UC Davis that I am sure I will carry with me wherever I go next in my career.
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