Diving into tree research 🌳 Josh Weikel is investigating the non-target impacts of Verticillium nonalfalfae. He is using Laser Ablation Tomography (LAT) to quantify species-specific responses in Ailanthus Altissima (tree-of-heaven) & native Pennsylvania tree species (Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) & Quercus rubra (Northern red oak)). He received the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Summer Undergraduate Student Research Award which has allowed him to build on work funded by USDA APHIS for the use of V. nonalfalfae to control invasive tree-of-heaven. “Penn State’s dedication to research, especially at an undergraduate level, has allowed me to pursue my interests and given me opportunities and connections that would never have been possible without the assistance of, the faculty, staff, and post-doctoral scholars here. It is more than a university; it’s a culture.”