Audrey Rodriguez


Audrey Rodriguez

Years in the program: 2024

Mentors: Dr. Olufemi Alabi; Cecilia Villegas; Isaias Hernandez, Dr. John O. Oladokun; Dr.
Ashrafou Ouro-Djobo

Title of project:

“Genetic variants of a novel putative Ampelovirus are present in Plumeria spp.” Discovery of a novel virus affecting Plumeria (frangipani), a tropical, flowering deciduous tree (Family Apocynaceae) that is common among ornamental plants throughout warmer regions including Central America, Texas, Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii, South Brazil, and North Florida.

Where I am now: 

As of January 2025, I have begun my final semester at Texas A&M University at College Station with a major in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Entomology. I entered the EFAS program in June of 2024, and have since obtained familiarity with innumerable facets of the science behind agriculture. Much of the world around us can be attributed to agricultural science, but I hadn’t truly appreciated the depth of this sentiment until I stepped into this extensive realm under the EFAS program. With the experience that I have acquired, this research opportunity has been an immeasurably valuable means of preparing me for my future in agricultural sciences. Dr. Olufemi Alabi, Cecilia Villegas, and Isaias Hernandez continue to introduce me to riveting concepts and research techniques within the domain of plant pathology, and each day spent at the AgriLife Research and Extension Center is filled with eye-opening conversation and never-ending knowledge expansion. I have even had the privilege of discovering a novel putative Ampelovirus in Plumeria plants, and will continue to contribute to the characterization of this RNA virus. I plan to present my findings at this year’s Subtropical Agriculture and Environments (SAES) conference taking place in February. As I begin my contribution to addressing the ongoing food safety and climate change challenges within our agricultural systems, the skills and experiences that this program provides will be the perfect segway for a lifelong pursuit in this unclaimed yet unfathomably indispensable field of work.