Stalk lodging, which is the bending, breaking, or falling of corn stalks before harvest, is a major agricultural challenge, causing more than $6 billion in maize yield losses worldwide each year, according to a peer-reviewed study by Clemson researchers and collaborators.
However, G&B’s Rajandeep Sekhon is leading a new, four-year, $6 million National Science Foundation grant that brings together plant geneticists, engineers, statisticians and artificial intelligence researchers from Clemson, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Idaho to develop corn plants that are less likely to bend or break before harvest. Sekhon will use Clemson’s $2 million share of the award to investigate the genetic and biological factors that influence stalk strength.
Researchers will grow and study about 1,000 maize inbred lines in South Carolina field trials, comparing plants with strong and weak lodging histories and measuring their stalk strength, stiffness, diameter, rind thickness and cellular characteristics.
“Our goal is to turn the genetic markers and biological insights we identify into practical tools breeders can use to develop stronger, more lodging-resistant corn. Ultimately, that could mean fewer losses in the field, more reliable harvests for farmers and more resilient food production,” Sekhon said.
This fall, Clemson welcomed its newest class of National and Breakthrough Scholars, highlighting students whose talents, curiosity and leadership reflect the university’s commitment to academic excellence. Both programs aim to recruit exceptional students from South Carolina, across the nation and around the world while providing scholars with access to research, mentorship and experiences that broaden their perspectives, deepen their interests and open new avenues for discovery and growth.
The Department of Genetics and Biochemistry had one student selected for each program. Freshman biochemistry student Zoey Bergeron was named a National Scholar, while sophomore genetics student Caroline Clayton was named a Breakthrough Scholar.
Clemson University’s National Scholars Program is its most prestigious and selective undergraduate scholarship, recognizing a small cohort of first-year students for their academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, leadership and potential for impact.
“Being named a National Scholar is an incredible honor, and I am so grateful for this opportunity,” says Zoey Bergeron. “I am excited to be surrounded by other motivated students who share my passion for learning and for making tangible differences within our communities. I know that the National Scholars Program will challenge me academically, encourage me to deepen my interests in medicine and research, and help me build a strong foundation for my future and my career.”
Clemson’s Breakthrough Scholars Program supports students who have demonstrated the potential to make an impact in their fields, communities and beyond. Scholars receive opportunities to connect with faculty mentors, research labs and professionals in science, engineering and health.
“I am very honored and excited to begin my first semester at Clemson as a Breakthrough Scholar! I was initially interested in the program because it will allow me to focus on STEM and research,” says Caroline Clayton. “I believe the scholarship will be beneficial towards my goals of medicine and clinical research. I have already enjoyed the program very much, specifically the opportunity to conduct research over the summer through the EUREKA! program. I am excited to see what the next four years bring!”
August 2026 G&B graduate Stephanie Toft would tell you she had the best of both worlds during her undergraduate career – experiencing all things college and Clemson while fulfilling her dream of working in aviation for the National Guard.
While on campus, Stephanie participated in Tigers on Track, a cohort-based internship preparation program for first-generation and Pell/Federal undergraduate students at Clemson. This program is designed to equip students with the knowledge they need to secure and succeed in an internship.
“Tigers on Track taught me about professional development and gave me valuable information on connections, interviews, and platforms like LinkedIn.”
In addition, Stephanie was involved in undergraduate research by taking part in a Creative Inquiry for Dr. Michael Sehorn’s lab from the Fall of 2024 to spring of 2026.
“It was so rewarding to be involved in such cool lab work with Dr. Sehorn’s Lab and also able to have a fulfilling military career.”
Stephanie has been in the National Guard for nine years as of July and works full-time as a Flight Operations Specialist at a Flight Facility in Greenville. Her unit is involved in a lot of state aid, including helping with Hurricane Helene, the Table Rock forest fires that happened this past fall and rescuing stranded hikers and their pets in state.
“With the devastation that Hurricane Helene has caused the Carolinas, the need for assistance [was] dire and that is one of the many reasons I chose to be in the military – to aid my state in moments of need.”
Stephanie will miss the simple days when she grabbed coffee and strolled around campus taking in the scenery, which was one of the first things that attracted her to Clemson in the first place.
“I was grateful to just be able to walk around [campus] every day and sit outside the library or around the reflecting pond and take it all in…Being at Clemson has been some of the most transformative years of my life and an enriching experience overall.”
Stephanie’s post-graduation plans are to continue her aviation work full-time and also pursue a master’s degree in genetic counseling after taking a gap year to gain clinical experience and shadow genetic counselors.
Assistant professor Jennifer Mason has received the 2026 Samuel H. Wilson Award from the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society.
This award was created in honor of Samuel H. Wilson, who made seminal contributions to the field of DNA repair and who served for decades as a leader at the National Institutes of Health. The Samuel H. Wilson Award is given annually to provide career advancement opportunities for the next generation of environmental health scientists.
Everyone join us in welcoming Dr. Glauco Vieira Miranda, a professor at the Federal University of Technology–Paraná (UTFPR) in Santa Helena, Brazil, who has joined Dr. Shahid Mukhtar’s lab as a sabbatical professor for the academic year.
Glauco Vieira Miranda, Ph.D., is an agronomist with extensive experience in plant breeding, quantitative genetics, genomics and crop cultivar development, particularly in maize and soybean. His current research focuses on plant breeding and the integration of genetics, genomics, phenotyping, and artificial intelligence, integrating conventional breeding with genomic tools, high-throughput phenotyping, data science and artificial intelligence to improve crop productivity and resilience. Miranda’s lab works primarily with soybean, studying complex traits such as yield, drought and heat tolerance and adaptation to different environments.
During his time at Clemson, Miranda hopes to both establish long-term collaborations between Clemson University, UTFPR, and other Brazilian research institutions and strengthen his expertise in genomics, bioinformatics and artificial intelligence in an effort to apply these approaches to crop improvement.
“I am particularly interested in developing collaborative research that integrates genomic and multi-omics data with computational approaches to better understand complex traits and identify genes and biological mechanisms associated with stress tolerance.”
Despite having more than three decades of experience in plant breeding, Miranda is always excited embracing the opportunity to learn something entirely new.
“Recently, I have been diving deeper into artificial intelligence, data science, and bioinformatics—which sometimes means spending as much time working with Python and genomic data as I do thinking about plants in the field!”
Dr. Rajandeep Sekhon leads the Clemson University team participating in a four-year, $6 million National Science Foundation collaborative grant for the project “Collaborative Research: FEC: Converging AI, Biomechanics, and Genomics to Engineer Lodging Resilient Field Crops.”
Dr. James Morris is part of a team that was awarded a NIH grant, “Optimization of N. fowleri inhibitors for rodent efficacy and validation of target.”
Few students squeeze as much into four years as May 2026 biochemistry graduate Kristen Gulbrandsen. From leading student organizations and mentoring classmates to conducting nationally recognized research, she embraced every opportunity Clemson had to offer.
Taking significant advantage of Google Calendar, Kristen was able to balance an impressive list of campus involvements, serving as Public Relations Officer and later President of the Genetics and Biochemistry Club, representing the College of Science as a Student Ambassador, serving on the University’s Academic Integrity Committee, working as an Athletics Tutor in biology and chemistry, and participating as a sister of Alpha Omega Epsilon (AΩE).
“I like to make myself busy…These organizations provided me with a lovely support system when I have made lifelong friendships, especially through AΩE and the Genetics and Biochemistry Club.“
In addition to campus involvement, Kristen participated in extensive research during her undergraduate years via two different Creative Inquiries (CIs), the K-12 math competitions with Dr. Jason Brown from Physics and Astronomy and gut microbiota research with Dr. Anna Seekatz from Biological Sciences.
“Through Dr. Brown’s CI, I learnt skills in interdisciplinary collaboration and how to inspire the future in STEM! Dr. Seekatz provided me with a supportive space on how to conduct science in a responsible and inquisitive way. She helped develop my technical skills, along with teaching me how to think like a scientist…She gave me a plethora of opportunities to present my work locally, as well as nationally.”
Kristen came into Clemson “All In!” and one of the most valuable lessons Kristen learned at Clemson was that there is no single correct path through college. After feeling overwhelmed by the endless opportunities during her first semester, she realized that success comes from creating your own path.
“I figured out that there is not one “right” way, but infinite correct ways. As long as you enjoy what you are doing, you are gaining from the experience.”
Starting July 1st, Kristen will be attending a Ph.D. program in Immunology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati.
“I am ecstatic to join their program, as their work there deeply inspires me.”
In this CI, students participate in tissue sectioning, advanced microscopy and histological analysis to assess plant anatomy and analyze how drought and other stressors alter plant tissues, helping them gain a better understanding of how environmental pressures affect agricultural systems.
“Dr. Mukhtar is as enthusiastic about working with undergraduates as he is about his own research,” wrote one student nominator for the Phil and Mary Bradley Faculty Award. “Even from my first conversation with him, I could tell he’s incredibly passionate about what he does and that he’s excited about including new students. He makes sure I know that he believes in me as a scientist … I’ve learned many important research skills, and I feel more confident in the lab because of him.”
Dr. Mukhtar says that the Carr Family Endowed Fund, which was established with a gift from Chalmers and Lori Anne Carr, owners and operators of Titan Farms, provides support for CI projects related to fruit and vegetable crop production, agriculture industries and rural economic development. will help provide students with a more immersive research experience and expand access to research technology to tackle real world agricultural challenges.
Phil and Mary Bradley helped launch the CI program in 2005 with a gift of $100,000. Since that time, they have continued to support CI by endowing the faculty award since 2006. The Bradleys’ generous gift allows each recipient to receive a plaque and salary supplement.
For genetics and biochemistry May grad Sydney Greer, Clemson became more than just a place to earn a degree — it became the place where she discovered confidence in herself. Whether she was performing with the Clemson University Steel Band, training service dogs for veterans, running trails through the Experimental Forest or conducting research in Dr. Shahid Mukhtar’s lab, Sydney embraced every opportunity to grow both as a scientist and as a person.
“I was involved in the Experimental Forest Trail Running Club, Clemson Battle Buddies, the Genetics and Biochemistry Club, and a Creative Inquiry project… I was also a member of the Clemson University Steel Band and Gigging Band. Having grown up playing the steel pan, I was excited to continue playing at Clemson. Being part of both groups was an incredible experience, and the rehearsals and performances gave me the opportunity to grow as a musician.”
Sydney is grateful for the academics and science courses, but she also learned invaluable life skills during her undergrad, embracing experiences that pushed her outside of her comfort zone.
“The most important thing I’ve learned over the last four years is confidence in myself. From public speaking to presentations and performing on stage, I’ve grown into someone who is far more comfortable taking on new challenges.”
Before coming to Clemson, Sydney recognized the Clemson ring and its tradition but says she didn’t fully understand the significance it held for those who wore it. Now, it holds special meaning and receiving hers is one of Sydney’s favorite memories.
“I wear mine every day, and it reminds me of the late nights studying in Cooper, the memories I made on and beyond campus, the experiences that shaped me and the incredible friends I met along the way.”
Sydney’s research involvement has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of her time as an undergrad student, her research projects where she served as the lead with PI Dr. Mukhtar even inspiring her to pursue her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology.
One of these projects is the investigation of drought responses in soybean root nodules with a multi-transcriptomic approach where Sydney uses single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to assess gene expression changes in response to extreme drought in the nodules. In the second project that is continuing through graduate school, she is researching the role of eccDNA in herbicide resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana.
“Working with these cutting-edge techniques has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this project, and I am excited to continue applying these powerful approaches to future research. I am incredibly excited to continue my journey here through a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology.”
