Department of Plant Pathology
Dr. Kelsey Andersen Onofre

Kelsey Andersen Onofre, PhD

Assistant Professor
Wheat & Forage Crops

4602 Throckmorton PSC
1712 Claflin Road
Manhattan, KS 66503

785-410-2426

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Curriculum Vitae (pdf)
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Biography

Dr. Kelsey Andersen Onofre is an Assistant Professor in the department of Plant Pathology at Kansas State University. She is originally from New Jersey, obtained her Bachelors in Biology from Lafayette College, M.S. in Plant Pathology from Ohio State University, and PhD in Plant Pathology from the University of Florida. At Ohio State, Dr. Andersen Onofre's research focused on epidemiology and management of Fusarium head blight (scab) of wheat. Her PhD research was focused on modeling epidemics in seed systems to inform landscape-scale intervention strategies, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Between her MS and PhD programs, Dr. Andersen Onofre spent three years working in industry where she primarily researched soybean diseases. Dr. Andersen Onofre joined the faculty in the Department of Plant Pathology at Kansas State in 2020.

Education

  • PhD, Plant Pathology, University of Florida, 2020
  • MS, Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, 2013
  • BA, Biology, Lafayette College, 2011

Research

Dr. Andersen Onofre's lab group at K-State leverages a broad range of both basic and applied research tools to answer critical questions about wheat diseases with the goal of improving on-farm productivity in the region. We have work ongoing to advance methods in the field of integrated disease management, applied and theoretical plant disease epidemiology, pathogen surveillance, and next generation diagnostics.

Extension

Extension and Outreach are at the heart of all activities in the Andersen Onofre lab. You'll catch Dr. Andersen Onofre year-round throughout Kansas for wheat plot tours, wheat schools, wheat pre-plant meetings, extension talks, and winter meetings. You may even catch her truck parked on the side of the road as she scouts for wheat diseases so she is able to provide timely updates about disease pressure in the state. Dr. Andersen Onofre is a regular radio guest and newsletter contributor for various outlets in the region. You can follow the lab on Twitter at @KSUWheatDisease.