April 3, 2020

Yuan Liu successfully defended his Master’s thesis in Plant Sciences on February 26, 2020 at North Dakota State University. His thesis is Genetic Dissection of Tan Spot Resistance in Wheat and he is advised by Xuehui Li, assistant professor and statistical genetics project leader. Liu’s research used genetic mapping methods to identify resistance in wheat to help develop disease resistant wheat varieties.

Liu is originally from China and received his bachelor’s degree in crop and soil science at Michigan State University in East Lansing. He chose to work on his master’s degree at NDSU because it is known as a student- and research-focused university. In addition, he says, “The Department of Plant Sciences offers comprehensive education and extensive research experience for students.” He will be continuing with his doctoral studies at NDSU.

During his master’s work, Liu received the following fellowships:

• Charles and Linda Moses Presidential Graduate Fellowship, NDSU College of Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019

• Glenn S. Smith International Graduate Fellowship , NDSU College of Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources, 2016-2017

Liu’s graduate committee included his advisor, Dr. Xuehui Li; Dr. Justin Faris, USDA-ARS; Dr. Steven Xu, USDA-ARS; and Dr. Zhauhui Liu, NDSU Plant Pathology.

Author: Kamie Beeson, 701-231-7123, kamie.a.beeson@ndsu.edu
Editor: Karen Hertsgaard, 701-231-5384, karen.hertsgaard@ndsu.edu