Felicia Kelso (nee Shepard)

  • 5th year Ph.D. Candidate
  • Program: Genetics
  • Hometown: Raleigh, NC
  • Education: B.S. Food Science (Minor in Horticulture), North Carolina State University
  • Lab: Ashrafi
  • Fun fact: I love rock climbing and the Shrek movie franchise
  • Email: fmshepar@ncsu.edu
  • Presentations:
    • NCSU Genetics and Genomics Scholars, Poster Session, Making CRISPR(ie)R Blueberries to Reduce Production Costs for Farmers, 2021
    • NCSU Genetics Graduate Student Symposium, Flash Talk, Utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 Methods for Improved Firmness in the Blueberry Genome, 2021
    • Plant Molecular Biology Retreat, Chalk Talk, Optimization of transformation and regeneration systems in highbush blueberry, 2022
    • NC Agricultural Foundation Research Update, Cuticle Wax Bloom Based Edible Coating: An Innovation for Enhanced Quality and Shelf-life of Blueberry Fruit, 2022
    • NC Blueberry Council- 57th Annual Open House and Trade Show, Optimization of Tissue Culture and Regeneration in Hard to Propagate Blueberry Genotypes, 2023
    • GGA 2nd Annual Retreat, Poster Session, Advancements in Highbush Blueberry Regeneration Systems, 2023
  • Notable Achievements:
    • Genetics and Genomics Scholars Program, 2020
    • North Carolina Biotechnology Center Flash Grant awarded for “Establishment of transformation and regeneration system in highbush blueberries,” 2021