Maricel Gonzales

Maricel Gonzales

Maricel Gonzales is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia (UGA) studying Plant Pathology. Originally from the Philippines, she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture major in Plant Pathology, and Master of Science in Plant Pathology minor in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). 

Following the completion of her bachelor’s degree, she worked as a research associate at the Institute of Plant Breeding in the University of the Philippines Los Baños. To expand her technical competence, she decided to pursue graduate studies at UPLB, where she was granted a two-year scholarship for her masters degree. Upon graduation, she became involved in research projects on diseases of several vegetable and fruit crops and collaborated with plant breeders for resistance screening and development of sustainable disease management programs.  

For her PhD, Gonzales chose to attend UGA to advance her knowledge and gain more research experience in plant pathology and related disciplines, particularly in relation to legume crops such as peanut. Currently, she is working on a project that aims to identify sources of leaf spot resistance in wild relatives of peanut, and to analyze the population structure of the causal pathogen. The knowledge on disease resistance and population structure of early and late leaf spot fungi can be used to build suitable disease management programs in peanut. After finishing her doctorate degree, Gonzales plans to continue a research career in plant pathology and disease management.

by Caraline Coombs, student assistant, UGA Peanut Team Media