Fellow                                         Mentor(s)                                            Fellow's Home Institution
Mikhyle Fehlman                       C. Lahondere                                    Pennsylvania State University
    Project: Plant sugar feeding habits of mosquitoes in residential Blacksburg, Virginia

Sophia Link                                D. Tholl & A. Jones                            University of Virginia
     Project: The effect of insect herbivory on yield and defense mechanisms in an oilseed plant

Shirin Sayani                              J. Samtani                                          Virginia Tech
     Project: Nitrogen dosage response study of various strawberry cultivars: Preliminary findings

Benjamin Stallings                     G. Gillaspy                                         Virginia Tech
     Project: The characterization of a potential phosphatase family in plants

Shelby Williford                         J. Derr                                                North Carolina State University
     Project: Weeding out the competition: Competitive effects on container-grown nursery plants

The VT-REEL program started on May 24, 2021 with a half-day orientation (lunch provided). Fellows this summer were located either on-campus (Blacksburg, VA) or off-campus at the Hamptons Roads AREC (Virginia Beach, VA). New this year - a peer / buddy program! Other program-affiliated events included: weekly scientific workshops, an online advanced research skills certificate, and the annual Summer Research Symposium. The gallery below provides highlights of the summer.