Dr. Dil Thavarajah
P.I. Pulse Quality and Nutritional Breeding Program
Professor of Plant & Environmental Sciences
Thavarajah earned her PhD in Plant Science and MSc in Soil Science from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and a BSc in Soil Science from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Dil serves as an honorary visiting lecturer at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and key research partner with International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) to release biofortified lentil cultivars for Africa and Asia. She is internationally recognized in lentil biofortification, for iron, zinc, and selenium.
Tristan Lawrence
Program Manager
West Palm Beach,FL
Lawrence graduated from Clemson University in 2018 with a BS in Agronomy and a minor in Plant Pathology. He joined Dr. Thavarajah’s Vegetable and Pulse Quality and Nutrition Team at Clemson University upon graduation. Tristan’s role within the lab consists of overseeing and maintaining all research fields, collecting data, analyzing nutritional quality and content of samples, as well as ‘crossing’ varieties for biofortification and nutritional increase. Lawrence’s enthusiasm for environmentally friendly and sustainable agriculture goes far beyond the lab program; his passion often spilling into every day life.
Dr. Emerson Shipe
Soybean Plant Breeder & Research Associate
Professor of Emeritus
Dr. Shipe is a former soybean pulse breeder at Clemson University. He led the soybean breeding program from 1980 until 2012. Dr. Emerson Shipe’s role within the program is to provide invaluable advice and assistance in organic and conventional pulse crop breeding efforts. His desire to continue learning and educating others has brought him back into the pulse breeding world, however, this time with an emphasis on field pea and lentil crops.
Dr. Pushparajah Thavarajah
Chemistry Research Scientist
Sri Lanka
Thava attended the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka where he earned his undergraduate degree. He then went on to receive his PHD from University of Saskatchewan in Canada. He specializes in chemistry sciences. Within the lab, Thava plays a valuable role assisting in chemical analysis and enforcing and emphasizing safety procedures in the laboratory.
Joshua “Adam” Kay
Lab Technician
Travelers Rest, SC
Adam graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Plant and Environmental Sciences, with a concentration in Agricultural Biotechnology. Adam is dedicated to his work with the lab. Adam enjoys his responsibilities with in the lab team, and wears many ‘hats’. He specializes in, but is not limited to, maintaining and managing all Laboratory research, protocols, and procedures.
Elizabeth Parker Beane
Communications Manager
Washington, DC
Lizzie earned her B.S. from Clemson University in Communications and a minor in Sustainability, in May 2017. She joined Dr. Thavarajah’s program as Communications Manager in early 2022. Beane advocates for a healthy, active, and sustainable plant based food system, both in the United States and globally. She became a vegetarian in the summer of 2016, when she made the decision to stop contributing to the meat industry completely due to it’s devastating environmental impacts.
Richard Baker
Research Associate
Mooresville, North Carolina
Richard Baker graduated from Presbyterian College, located in Clinton, South Carolina, where he earned his Bachelors degree in Biology. In 1973, he began working at Clemson University. Baker joined the department of Plant Pathology and Physiology. His role within the lab group depends on where he is needed most. He plays a valuable role in assisting lab members in various aspects in the field, crop house, and greenhouses.
Dr. Nathan Johnson
Post Doc/ Research Fellow
Northern Minnesota
In 2018, Johnson completed his B.A. in Pastoral Ministry from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. After returning to the sciences, he accepted the opportunity to pursue a graduate degree at Clemson University, studying plant breeding and genetics. Johnson’s research focuses on prebiotic carbohydrates and protein quality in lentil. Dr. Johnson completed his doctoral program in August 2022, working on developing genetic resources and rapid analysis methods to breed more nutritious and climate resilient lentil varieties.
