Sofia Jauregui

(Joined NC State for graduate study)

Education

University of California Davis - Expected Graduation June 2025
Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems

Work Experience
Student Assistant - Sudarshana Lab
April 2022 - June 2022
● Watered, weeded, and otherwise maintained research crops in two different greenhouses
● Assisted graduate student with research project by completing qPCR tests, Gel electrophoresis tests, RNA extractions and any other needed tasks
Student Assistant - Contained Research Facility
September 2022 - December 2023; April 2024 - Present
● Assist PI in research on Citrus Leprosis Virus and its vector mites in a BSL 3 laboratory
● Use microscope to inspect mite colonies and remove predator Californicus mites
● Maintain colonies of Tuta absoluta moth (South American Tomato leaf miner)
● Water, fertilize, transplant and graft different research crops including tomato and citrus
● Train new hires on SOPs, plant maintenance, and other job related duties
Student Assistant - Walse Group Lab (summer internship)
June 2023 - September 2023
● Maintained colonies of Lobesia botrana (european grapevine moth) including egg collection, pupae collection, and general colony management
● Assisted graduate student by making experimental cups used in pesticide testing
Nucicer Plant Breeding Intern
September 2023 - June 2024
● Crossing of various chickpea varieties to achieve the goals of our breeding program
● Threshing, counting, sorting, packaging, and phenotyping of chickpea seeds
● Plant crossing matrices and identify valuable traits for crossing in the greenhouse
● Planting, weeding, and irrigating our field trials
● Monitor both in field and greenhouse plants for disease and pests and treat as needed
Student Assistant - Cook Lab
December 2023 - June 2024
● Crossing of various chickpea varieties to achieve the goals of our breeding program
● Planting, watering, inoculating, and fertilizing greenhouse chickpea plants
● Collecting phenotypic data for use in scientific trials and independent research project
● Data collection and analysis using tools such as R and Excel
Field Science Traits Intern – Corteva Agriscience
June 2024 – September 2024
● Monitoring and collecting phenotypic data related to corn growth stages including flowering and pollination
● Monitoring and collecting phenotypic data related to responses to drought stress
● High throughput phenotyping with the use of a multispectral drone
● Installing and collecting data from IRTs (Infrared Leaf Temperature)
● Collaborate with Project Scientist to design and execute independent research project to be presented at the end of internship
Student Assistant – Zhang Lab
September 2024 - Present
● Grain quality testing at the California Wheat Commission
● Genotyping work including DNA extractions and PCR analysis
● General duties related to a breeding program including harvesting and threshing grain, packaging seeds for planting etc.
Silo Urban Farms
September 2024 - Present
● Working in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team to design and 3D print a scalable vertical hydroponics system
● Designing a planting, transplant, and harvest schedule for a multi-crop system
● Experimenting with nutrient levels and formulations to optimize fertilizer for each tower
● Collaborating within a team to identify markets and secure buyers for the crops that we grow
● Presenting our business to potential investors, other students and faculty, and the general public in public speaking formats as well as over zoom