Position Title
PhD Student
Catelyn Bridges is graduating with her PhD in Horticulture and Agronomy from the University of California, Davis. She also has an MS in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University and a BS in Biological Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is returning to her hometown and alma mater, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as a tenure-track assistant professor in food engineering in the BSE department. Catelyn spent time in the recreational cannabis industry before pursuing a doctorate, which provided direct insight into organic cultivation practices and observation of the industry's current postharvest processes. That experience prompted her current investigation into how postharvest processes affect the quality of medicinal hemp flowers. She has also developed an extension project that benefits the hemp post-harvest industry. In addition to her research, she is a Hemp Research Specialist at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she manages hemp field trials, writes extension publications, and organizes local hemp field days. She is a current Plant Science fellowship awardee, a GEM Fellow, and a former American Association of University Women Selected Professional Fellow. Catelyn is a member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers, where she has served on national and regional boards.