Meet The Team

Roy is an Assistant Professor at the Tennessee State University's College of Agriculture. Roy grew up in New Delhi, India and completed her doctoral studies at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, UK. She moved to the Noble Research Institute in Ardmore, Oklahoma in 2016 for her postdoctoral training before starting her independent laboratory in January, 2021.  

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Shivani Dharam is a former intern at ICRISAT, India where she worked after completing a B.S degree in Agricultural Sciences at Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University. Outside of her studies, Shivani has a passion for dance and music, which she turns to for relaxation. She also enjoys exploring diverse cuisines and discovering new neighborhoods in Nashville.

Hyndavi is a Ph.D. student within the Agricultural Science program at Tennessee State University. She completed her Master's degree at West Virginia State University. Beyond her academic pursuits, she enjoys expressing her creativity through painting, which provides a balance to her research-driven life.

Janae Terrell is a senior Agricultural Science major with a concentration in biotechnology on a pre-dental track from St. Petersburg, Florida. Her career aspirations are to become an Orthodontist. Janae is training to gain research experience in molecular plant genetics and gene editing.

Rajni recieved her Ph.D from CSIR-IHBT, Palampur, India. After a one year postdoc there, she joined the University of New Brunswick as Post-doctoral Researcher. Rajni has experience in plant genomics, transcriptomics and in analyzing large-scale genomic datasets. In her spare time, Rajni loves trekking and going on long road trips across the Americas with her husband.

Shania Dean-Motley is pursuing her B.S. in Agricultural Sciences as a Dean's Scholar. She was crowned Miss Michigan HBCU Teen and recieved multiple scholarships for her studies at TSU. Passionate about advocating for youth in foster care, multitalented Shania showcases her musical talents as a french horn player with the Grammy-winning TSU marching band, the Aristocrat of Bands! 📯

Miracle is a junior majoring in Biology with a minor in Psychology. As a participant in the prestigious McNair Scholars Program and a Presidential Scholar with a GPA over 3.5, she exemplifies academic excellence. Miracle also serves as Junior Class Vice President for the Student Government Association. In her free time, she enjoys meditation, crocheting, reading, and roller skating.