{"id":214085,"date":"2022-10-06T14:36:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T18:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/?p=214085"},"modified":"2023-11-15T18:11:59","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T23:11:59","slug":"connecting-field-and-lab-with-an-eye-toward-extension-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/news\/connecting-field-and-lab-with-an-eye-toward-extension-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Connecting Field and Lab with an Eye Toward Extension"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Raleigh native, Duncan McSorley, is only a junior and has already made an impact on his home state. As a student in the <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/\">Department of Crop and Soil Sciences<\/a>, McSorley has spent the past year and a half conducting both lab work and fieldwork to address plant diseases impacting North Carolina farmers. His dream of becoming an Extension specialist runs in the family \u2013 McSorley\u2019s grandfather was raised on a tobacco and dairy farm and spent part of his career as a Cooperative Extension agent in Claiborne County, TN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI knew that I wanted to work outside and I wanted to work with people, so I\u2019ve always been interested in the idea of doing extension as soon as I understood what that career entailed,\u201d McSorley says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the summer of 2021, McSorley participated in the Extension Summer Internship Program in the Transylvania County office. He combined his county extension work with one of four available <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/psi\/\">N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative<\/a> (N.C. PSI) internships. Through the N.C. PSI internship, McSorley began working with <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/entomology-and-plant-pathology\/people\/immeadow\/\">Inga Meadows<\/a>, an Extension plant pathology specialist based at the <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/research\/research-stations\/mountain-research-station\/\">Mountain Research Station<\/a>, on a preliminary informational video about the Plant Aid Project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/McSorley_field_030123.jpeg\" alt=\"Duncan McSorley in a field\" class=\"wp-image-214076\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/McSorley_field_030123.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/McSorley_field_030123-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/McSorley_field_030123-768x432.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">McSorley has loved spending his summers working outside in the mountains. Photo credit: Duncan McSorley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was really refreshing to have such an engaged undergraduate student in the lab,\u201d says Meadows. \u201cHaving such intelligent and motivated people in my program, such as Duncan, inspires me to be better at my job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to his work as an N.C. PSI intern on the Plant Aid Project video, McSorley was invited to work on the project in <a href=\"https:\/\/ristainolab.cals.ncsu.edu\/\">Jean Ristaino\u2019s lab<\/a> back in Raleigh during the academic year. The <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/psi\/research-projects\/#plant-aid\">Plant Aid Project<\/a> is developing cost-effective sensors and data systems to enhance plant disease detection at earlier stages than is currently observable. One of the methods for doing so is through DNA extraction and identification in the field with the use of microneedle patches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McSorley\u2019s primary contribution to the project in the lab was creating those patches from scratch. \u201cIt\u2019s a little sticker that has microscopic needles on it that you press onto a diseased leaf. When you wash it off, you\u2019re able to use that sample to run a DNA amplification to identify whether or not there\u2019s a pathogen,\u201d McSorley explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dayofgiving.ncsu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"258\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/8-e1677698053403-1024x258.png\" alt=\"a graphic promoting Day of Giving\" class=\"wp-image-214078\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/8-e1677698053403-1024x258.png 1024w, https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/8-e1677698053403-300x76.png 300w, https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/8-e1677698053403-768x193.png 768w, https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/8-e1677698053403.png 1191w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Bringing his work full circle, McSorley was able to return to the mountains this past summer as a Kelman Scholar at the Mountain Research Station under Meadows\u2019 mentorship. The <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/entomology-and-plant-pathology\/students\/undergraduate\/kelman-scholars\/\">Kelman Scholars Program<\/a>, from the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, offers summer research internships to undergraduate students interested in the biological sciences. Throughout his internship, McSorley conducted field-based vegetable pathology research and planned and executed the first field trial for the Plant Aid sensors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To top it off, McSorley also presented at the Mountain Research Station Field Day and the Tomato Field Day at the <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/research\/research-stations\/mountain-horticultural-crops\/\">Mountain Horticulture Crops Research Station<\/a>. \u201cI feel a lot more confident in my ability to speak publicly and take complicated research concepts and explain them so people can appreciate the importance of what we\u2019re doing and why they should care about it,\u201d McSorley says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DuncanMcSorley_group_030123-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-214082\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DuncanMcSorley_group_030123-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DuncanMcSorley_group_030123-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DuncanMcSorley_group_030123-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DuncanMcSorley_group_030123.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">McSorley honed his public speaking skills at two field days during the summer. Photo credit: Duncan McSorley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked about his prospects as a future Extension specialist, Meadows says, \u201cwatching Duncan present at two field days was impressive. He is a natural-born Extension specialist, so I see it as a no-brainer!\u201d The past two summers working at research stations have solidified McSorley\u2019s desire to pursue extension as a career. \u201cNot everyone has been in a lab or stepped foot on NC State\u2019s campus,\u201d McSorley says. \u201cBut that\u2019s one of the cool things about extension \u2013 it\u2019s really important to have people who can create the connection between communities across the state and NC State.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-highlight with-image\"><h2 class=\"highlight__label\">GROW THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES<\/h2><a href=\"https:\/\/dayofgiving.ncsu.edu\/\" class=\"highlight__link\" data-ua-cat=\"Highlight Block\" data-ua-action=\"Story Click\" data-ua-label=\"https:\/\/dayofgiving.ncsu.edu\/\"><div class=\"highlight__image-container\"><div class=\"highlight__image-background\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" class=\"highlight__image wp-image-214077\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/30.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/30.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/30-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/30-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/30-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"highlight__text-container\"><h3 class=\"highlight__heading\">Day of Giving 2023<\/h3><p class=\"highlight__teaser\">CALS transforms challenges into opportunities. Our students work across disciplines to develop solutions in food, fiber and health \u2014 all while preparing to be leaders in a global marketplace. Your support helps us grow talent, solutions and economies.<\/p><p class=\"highlight__cta\"><span>Get <\/span><span class=\"nowrap\"><span>involved <\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"> <svg class=\"wolficon\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" \/><\/svg> <\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/a><\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite thoroughly enjoying his work in plant pathology, McSorley has become increasingly passionate about combining his concentration in agronomy with his minor in animal science. With his family now producing beef cattle in Tennessee, he\u2019s particularly interested in becoming involved in grazing management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very interested in making pasture more efficient through grazing practices and rebuilding soil health through science-based research,\u201d McSorley says. He\u2019s already asking the right questions: \u201cHow can we take degraded land and improve it over time through conservation grazing? How do we address soil health and plant biodiversity?\u201d McSorley ponders. \u201cI\u2019m excited to look more into ways that crop and soil science ties into animal science because so much of North Carolina agriculture is animal-based. I\u2019d love to see how they can interact.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"<!-- wp:ncst\/dynamic-header -->\n<!-- wp:ncst\/default-post-header \/-->\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/dynamic-header -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Raleigh native, Duncan McSorley, is only a junior and has already made an impact on his home state. As a student in the <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/\">Department of Crop and Soil Sciences<\/a>, McSorley has spent the past year and a half conducting both lab work and fieldwork to address plant diseases impacting North Carolina farmers. His dream of becoming an Extension specialist runs in the family \u2013 McSorley\u2019s grandfather was raised on a tobacco and dairy farm and spent part of his career as a Cooperative Extension agent in Claiborne County, TN.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI knew that I wanted to work outside and I wanted to work with people, so I\u2019ve always been interested in the idea of doing extension as soon as I understood what that career entailed,\u201d McSorley says.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In the summer of 2021, McSorley participated in the Extension Summer Internship Program in the Transylvania County office. He combined his county extension work with one of four available <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/psi\/\">N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative<\/a> (N.C. PSI) internships. Through the N.C. PSI internship, McSorley began working with <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/entomology-and-plant-pathology\/people\/immeadow\/\">Inga Meadows<\/a>, an Extension plant pathology specialist based at the <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/research\/research-stations\/mountain-research-station\/\">Mountain Research Station<\/a>, on a preliminary informational video about the Plant Aid Project.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":214076,\"sizeSlug\":\"full\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/McSorley_field_030123.jpeg\" alt=\"Duncan McSorley in a field\" class=\"wp-image-214076\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">McSorley has loved spending his summers working outside in the mountains. Photo credit: Duncan McSorley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cIt was really refreshing to have such an engaged undergraduate student in the lab,\u201d says Meadows. \u201cHaving such intelligent and motivated people in my program, such as Duncan, inspires me to be better at my job.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Thanks to his work as an N.C. PSI intern on the Plant Aid Project video, McSorley was invited to work on the project in <a href=\"https:\/\/ristainolab.cals.ncsu.edu\/\">Jean Ristaino\u2019s lab<\/a> back in Raleigh during the academic year. The <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/psi\/research-projects\/#plant-aid\">Plant Aid Project<\/a> is developing cost-effective sensors and data systems to enhance plant disease detection at earlier stages than is currently observable. One of the methods for doing so is through DNA extraction and identification in the field with the use of microneedle patches.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>McSorley\u2019s primary contribution to the project in the lab was creating those patches from scratch. \u201cIt\u2019s a little sticker that has microscopic needles on it that you press onto a diseased leaf. When you wash it off, you\u2019re able to use that sample to run a DNA amplification to identify whether or not there\u2019s a pathogen,\u201d McSorley explains.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":214078,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"custom\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dayofgiving.ncsu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/8-e1677698053403-1024x258.png\" alt=\"a graphic promoting Day of Giving\" class=\"wp-image-214078\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Bringing his work full circle, McSorley was able to return to the mountains this past summer as a Kelman Scholar at the Mountain Research Station under Meadows\u2019 mentorship. The <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/entomology-and-plant-pathology\/students\/undergraduate\/kelman-scholars\/\">Kelman Scholars Program<\/a>, from the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, offers summer research internships to undergraduate students interested in the biological sciences. Throughout his internship, McSorley conducted field-based vegetable pathology research and planned and executed the first field trial for the Plant Aid sensors.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>To top it off, McSorley also presented at the Mountain Research Station Field Day and the Tomato Field Day at the <a href=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/research\/research-stations\/mountain-horticultural-crops\/\">Mountain Horticulture Crops Research Station<\/a>. \u201cI feel a lot more confident in my ability to speak publicly and take complicated research concepts and explain them so people can appreciate the importance of what we\u2019re doing and why they should care about it,\u201d McSorley says.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":214082,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/DuncanMcSorley_group_030123-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-214082\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">McSorley honed his public speaking skills at two field days during the summer. Photo credit: Duncan McSorley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When asked about his prospects as a future Extension specialist, Meadows says, \u201cwatching Duncan present at two field days was impressive. He is a natural-born Extension specialist, so I see it as a no-brainer!\u201d The past two summers working at research stations have solidified McSorley\u2019s desire to pursue extension as a career. \u201cNot everyone has been in a lab or stepped foot on NC State\u2019s campus,\u201d McSorley says. \u201cBut that\u2019s one of the cool things about extension \u2013 it\u2019s really important to have people who can create the connection between communities across the state and NC State.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/highlight {\"teaser\":\"CALS transforms challenges into opportunities. Our students work across disciplines to develop solutions in food, fiber and health \u2014 all while preparing to be leaders in a global marketplace. Your support helps us grow talent, solutions and economies.\",\"callToAction\":\"Get involved\",\"imageID\":214077} -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-highlight with-image\"><h2 class=\"highlight__label\">GROW THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES<\/h2><a href=\"https:\/\/dayofgiving.ncsu.edu\/\" class=\"highlight__link\" data-ua-cat=\"Highlight Block\" data-ua-action=\"Story Click\" data-ua-label=\"https:\/\/dayofgiving.ncsu.edu\/\"><div class=\"highlight__image-container\"><div class=\"highlight__image-background\"><img class=\"highlight__image wp-image-214077\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/30.jpg\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"highlight__text-container\"><h3 class=\"highlight__heading\">Day of Giving 2023<\/h3><p class=\"highlight__teaser\">CALS transforms challenges into opportunities. Our students work across disciplines to develop solutions in food, fiber and health \u2014 all while preparing to be leaders in a global marketplace. Your support helps us grow talent, solutions and economies.<\/p><p class=\"highlight__cta\"><span>Get <\/span><span class=\"nowrap\"><span>involved <\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"> <svg class=\"wolficon\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" \/><\/svg> <\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/a><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/highlight -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Despite thoroughly enjoying his work in plant pathology, McSorley has become increasingly passionate about combining his concentration in agronomy with his minor in animal science. With his family now producing beef cattle in Tennessee, he\u2019s particularly interested in becoming involved in grazing management.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very interested in making pasture more efficient through grazing practices and rebuilding soil health through science-based research,\u201d McSorley says. He\u2019s already asking the right questions: \u201cHow can we take degraded land and improve it over time through conservation grazing? How do we address soil health and plant biodiversity?\u201d McSorley ponders. \u201cI\u2019m excited to look more into ways that crop and soil science ties into animal science because so much of North Carolina agriculture is animal-based. I\u2019d love to see how they can interact.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Internships with NC State Extension and the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative help\u00a0Duncan McSorley explore\u00a0a career as an Extension specialist,\u00a0following in his grandfather’s footsteps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3872,"featured_media":214074,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"caption\":\"\",\"displayCategoryID\":1174,\"subtitle\":\"Duncan McSorley has spent the past year and a half interning in Extension and the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative on his way to some day becoming an Extension specialist.\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1170,1633,1174],"tags":[1165,1868],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"coauthors":[2439],"class_list":["post-214085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-extension","category-nc-psi","category-students","tag-department-of-crop-and-soil-sciences","tag-n-c-plant-sciences-initiative"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":1174,"name":"Students","slug":"students","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1174,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":2697,"count":519,"filter":"raw"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3872"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214085"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214085\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214465,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214085\/revisions\/214465"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/214074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214085"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=214085"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=214085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}