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Undergraduate

Dr. Clara Qin

Clara was an undergraduate research assistant in the Peay Lab from 2012 to 2015, where she gained an appreciation for the macroecology of soil microbiota. After completing her BS in Biology and MS in Statistics, she started her PhD in Environmental Studies at UC Santa Cruz where she is advised by Stacy Philpott. Her ecological research leverages data from continental-scale soil sampling networks to model fungal species ranges and understand how climate influences soil fungal community assembly. Her agroecological research investigates the local- and landscape-level drivers of bacterial diversity in agricultural soils under organic management. Her sociological research explores the possibilities and limitations of applying ecological theories to soilborne disease management for agricultural crops.