News
April 5, 2024
Thanks to Dr. Anne Nielsen at Rutgers University for inviting me speak about my research for the Rutgers Entomology Department. I really enjoyed all the great discussions with students and faculty! Catch a recording of the seminar here:
February 1, 2024
To new beginnings!!
I’m over the moon to officially start my new position as an Assistant Professor in the Entomology & Plant Pathology Department at UT, along with Assistant Professors Dr. Gayan Kariyawasam and Dr. Gautam Shirsekar.
Head over to the Coming Soon page to learn more about plans and current research opportunities in the Coffman Lab.
June 23, 2023
Someone tell this 14 year old she finally has a reason to be this hype…
Beyond happy to announce that I’ll be joining the Entomology & Plant Pathology Department at the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2024 as an Assistant Professor. More insect-microbe stuff to come from the Coffman lab, check out the Coming Soon page for info!!
October 27, 2022
Tremendous thanks to Bronson Yadao and everyone at Kauaʻi Coffee Company for hosting myself and USDA-ARS research technicians Angela Kauwe and Keena Curbelo during the annual coffee harvest season!
On this trip, we got an up-close look into how coffee is harvested on the largest coffee farm in the US. Who knew that coffee berries can be yellow (?!) like the Yellow Catuai variety grown at Kauaʻi Coffee Company.
We also collected coffee to study the invasive tephritid fruit flies that often infest coffee cherry in Hawaiʻi, as well as the parasitoid wasps that infest the fruit flies themselves! This trip was part of an ongoing project investigating beneficial virus interactions in wild parasitoid wasp populations.
August 3, 2022
Looking forward to the 2022 ESA, ESC, & ESBC Joint Annual Meeting this November in Vancouver, where I will be participating in the Section Symposium “Microbes Rulers of Us All: Microbial Interactions and Their Influence over Host Fitness.”
My talk, titled “Move over, cellular microbes: Symbiotic viruses as key players in parasitoid wasp success” is scheduled for Sunday, November 13 at 3:30 PM PDT.
Very excited to be among this great line-up of insect microbe experts. Hope to see you there!
May 25, 2022
It was an honor to speak in the Hawaiʻi Invasive Pest Mini-Conference about my research on parasitoid viruses and their prospects for fruit fly pest control (starting at 1:13:30). I was blown away by this community and their passion to preserve native ecosystems on the islands that are threatened by invasive species.
May 3, 2022
Had the pleasure of talking to Michele Hatcher for CAES Newswire about my work on mutualistic virus transmission. Click the image to read the press release!
April 11, 2022
Super thrilled to share the latest paper from my PhD work published today in PNAS: “A viral mutualist employs posthatch transmission for vertical and horizontal spread among parasitoid wasps”.
Many thanks to my former PhD advisor Dr. Gaelen Burke and lab manager Quinn Hankinson for bringing this one together. Please enjoy this graphical summary I whipped up!
November 12, 2021
Absolutely ecstatic to announce that my USDA-NIFA-AFRI-EWD Postdoctoral Fellowship application was recommended for funding!!
My proposed project, titled “Functional characterization of virus-like particles produced by the fruit fly parasitoid, Fopius arisanus” will allow me to delve into the role of a newly discovered viral symbiont found within Fopius arisanus, one of the most successful biocontrol agents used against tropical fruit fly pests.
Excited for all the new opportunities and cool science this fellowship will support.
June 1, 2021
Aloha from Hawaiʻi! I recently moved to the Big Island to begin a postdoctoral appointment working under Dr. Scott Geib at the USDA-ARS Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center.
I also brought my cat Heidi along with me for this new adventure!
November 13, 2020
Officially Dr. Coffman today… I passed my dissertation defense!!
A very surreal/happy/bittersweet/proud moment that I got to share with colleagues, friends, and family. Tremendous thanks to everyone that helped me get to this major milestone!
