Laura E. Tibbs 1541 Agronomy Hall, 716 Farm House Lane, Ames, IA 50011 515-809-0045 [email protected]

Education

Iowa State University, Ames, IA August 2017 - Present Ph.D., Genetics and Genomics Advisor: Dr. Jianming Yu, Department of Agronomy

Benedictine College, Atchison, KS August 2013 - May 2017 B.A., summa cum laude Major: Biology Minor: Chemistry Specialization: Honors Program

Research Experience

Graduate Research:

Ph.D. Dissertation Research March 2018 - Present Iowa State University, Ames, IA • Investigating genetics of B vitamins in maize using GWAS and RNAseq. • Designed field layout for RNA collection from fresh ears in a diversity panel. • Conducting GWAS using up to 21 million SNPs in the Ames Diversity Panel using multiple programs (GAPIT, MLMM, FarmCPU, and QTCAT in R). • Collaborating with scientists from Cornell University and Michigan State University.

Undergraduate Research:

Tardigrade distribution and September 2014 – Present Iowa State University, Ames, IA; Benedictine College, Atchison, KS; and Baker University, Baldwin City, KS • Surveyed diversity on Benedictine College campus (2014-2015), elsewhere in Kansas (2015-2016), in Florida (2015), and in Iowa (2016-2017). • Imaged American type specimens in Modena, Italy in fall 2015.

C. elegans genetics August 2014 - May 2015 Benedictine College, Atchison, KS • Investigated effects of various genes on vulval formation in C. elegans using RNAi. • Maintained C. elegans strains and RNAi cultures.

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Cottonmouth venom toxicity August 2013 - April 2014 Benedictine College, Atchison, KS • Quantified toxicity of cottonmouth venom by observing its effects on red blood cells using a hemocytometer.

Research Internships:

Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) Intern May 2016 - August 2016 Ames Laboratory, Ames, IA • Used CAD software to design and 3D printing to produce a scalable plant growth environment. • Programmed and wired Arduino boards to control temperature in growth chambers. Grew, harvested, and phenotyped Brassica rapa plants in these.

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Intern June 2015 - August 2015 Baker University, Baldwin City, KS • Climbed trees using doubled rope climbing technique (DRT) to collect vertically stratified samples of moss and lichen. • Processed these samples to extract, mount, identify, and image .

USDA Pathways Intern – Biology May 2014 - August 2014 National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, Ames, IA • Installed and maintained water samplers and experimental treatments at field sites, and collected and processed water samples from these. • Designed and built an apparatus to assist in filtering samples.

Teaching and Outreach Experience

Teaching

Graduate Teaching Assistant January 2019 – May 2019 Iowa State University, Ames, IA • Teaching assistant for GEN/AGRON 320: Genetics, Agriculture and Biotechnology. • Updated formerly paper-based assignments for online submission and grading. • Prepared lecture material and led class for 5 sessions during the semester.

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant August 2014 - May 2017 Benedictine College, Atchison, KS • Laboratory courses taught were Bi 107: Principles of Biology (taught five times), Ch 105: General Chemistry I Laboratory (taught twice), and Bi 121: General Biology I (taught once). Laura Tibbs | 3

• Assisted professor in instructing students on proper use of laboratory equipment and performance of laboratory techniques.

Biology Tutor September 2016 - May 2017 Benedictine College, Atchison, KS • Courses tutored included Bi 121: General Biology I, Bi 122: General Biology II, Bi 107: Principles of Biology, Bi 355: Ecology, Bi 370: Genetics, and Bi 360: Microbiology. • Tutored undergraduate students in both biology majors and non-science majors.

Outreach

Middle School Catechist December 2018 – Present St. Cecilia Catholic Church, Ames, IA • Develop and present lessons for middle school students each week. • Lead students in activities and facilitate small group discussions.

Extension Intern May 2017 – August 2017 Hardin County Extension Office, Iowa Falls, IA • Prepared and presented an hour-long educational session for seniors, a workshop for K-6 grade students, and activities at a K-3 grade day camp. • Developed automated, computerized methods to accomplish previously manual annual tasks using the new FairEntry software and developed detailed written instructions for future use.

Publications

Chen, Y., Tibbs, L., Ashley, C., Putz, A.M., Lim, K., Dyck, M., Fortin, F., Plastow, G.S., Dekkers, J.C.M., & Harding, J.C.S. The Genetic Basis of Natural Antibody Titers and Relationships with Disease Resilience in Pigs. Journal of Science 97(Supplement_2), 35-36 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skz122.065 Tibbs, L.E., Ashley, C., Putz, A., Lim, K., Dyck, M.K., Fontin, F., Plastow, G.S.; Dekkers, J., & Harding, J.C.S. Selection for Increased Natural Antibody Levels to Improve Disease Resilience in Pigs. Animal Industry Report: AS 664, ASL R3271 (2018). https://doi.org/10.31274/ans_air-180814-285. Moore, A., West, M., Tibbs, L., Cortes, B.W., Miller, W.R., Johansson, C., & Lowman, M.D. Tardigrades of the canopy: A New Genus for Acanthechiniscus goedeni (Heterotardigrada: Echiniscoidea: Echiniscidae) from Oregon, USA [Abstract]. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 121(1-2) (2018). https://doi.org/10.1660/062.121.0226. Tibbs, L., Emmanuels, A., & Miller, W. Tardigrades of the canopy: Argentine species Milnesium beatae Roszkowska, Ostrowska and Kaczmarek, 2015 (Eutardigrada, Milnesidae) found in the trees of Kansas, USA. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 119(2), 173-178 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1660/062.119.0207. Laura Tibbs | 4

Tibbs, L., Cortes, B.W., & Miller, W. Tardigrades of the canopy: the dilemma between the genera and . [Abstract]. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 119(2), 263 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1660/062.119.0217.

Professional Presentations

Oral Presentations:

Tibbs, L., Cortes, B.W., & Miller, W. Tardigrades of the canopy: the dilemma between the genera Itaquascon and Astatumen. 148th Annual Meeting of the Kansas Academy of Science, McPherson, KS, April 1-2, 2016. Tibbs, L., Cortes, B., & Miller, W. Tardigrades of Hardin County, Iowa. 129th Annual Meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science, Cedar Falls, IA, April 21-22, 2017. Tibbs, L. & Cortes, B. Climbing Trees and Traveling the World for Tardigrades: A Study in Taxonomy and Distribution. Honors Capstone Project Presentation, Atchison, KS, May 2, 2017.

Poster Presentations:

Tibbs, L., Dzievit, M., Guo, T., Li, X., Wu, D., Albert, E., Bao, Y., Schoenbaum, G., Magallanes-Lundback, M., Buell, C. R., Gore, M., DellaPenna, D., & Yu, J. Genome-wide association studies of B vitamin levels in maize grain using 16.7 million imputed SNPs. • 6th Annual Graduate and Professional Student Research Conference, Ames, IA, April 10, 2019. • 61st Annual Maize Genetics Conference, St. Louis, MO, March 14 - 17, 2019. • 6th Annual R.F. Baker Plant Breeding Symposium, Ames, IA, March 1, 2019. Tibbs, L., Ashley, C., Putz, A., Lim, K., Dyck, M.K., Fontin, F., Plastow, G.S., PigGen Canada, Dekkers, J., & Harding, John C. S. Selection for Increased Natural Antibody Levels to Improve Disease Resilience in Pigs. • Department of Animal Science Poster Fair, Ames, IA, April 23-27, 2018. • Plant and Animal Genome XXVI Conference, San Diego, CA, January 13-17, 2018. Tibbs, L., Cortes, B., & Malloy, T. Tardigrades of Iowa. Benedictine College Discovery Day, Atchison, KS, April 5, 2017. Tibbs, L., Tian, X., Lind, K., Siemianowski, O., & Cademartiri, L. Controlled environments for plant growth: temperature control and scalability. Iowa State University REU Poster Session, Ames, IA, August 4, 2016. Tibbs, L., Cortes, B.W., & Malloy, T. Climbing Trees for Tardigrades. Benedictine College Discovery Day, Atchison, KS, April 13, 2016. Tibbs, L. & Wood, K. Preferential association of similar birth orders among college roommates: testing the efficacy of existing research models. Annual Meeting of the Midwest Sociological Society, Kansas City, MO, March 26-29, 2015. Cortes, B.W., Tibbs, L., & Malloy, T. Tardigrades of Benedictine College Campus. Benedictine College Discovery Day, Atchison, KS, April 15, 2015. Laura Tibbs | 5

Roche, B., Cortes, B.W., Tibbs, L., & Schramp, M. Identifying LIM- proteins that regulate epithelial morphogenesis in C. elegans. Benedictine College Discovery Day, Atchison, KS, April 15, 2015. Cortes, B.W., Ambrose, J., Corkum, J., Pecha, M.B., Tibbs, L., & Malloy, T. Exploring the toxicity of cottonmouth venom. Benedictine College Discovery Day, Atchison, KS, April 9, 2014.

Grants and Fellowships

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP) 2017 – Present • Ted Crosbie Monsanto Graduate Scholarship in Corn Breeding 2019, 2020 • Josef F. Schuler Fellowship in Agronomy 2019 • Iowa State University Presidential Fellowship 2017 – 2018 • Diane Brandt Fellowship 2017 • Honors Program Research Grant 2015 • Benedictine College Discovery Grants 2013, 2014, 2015

Selected Awards and Achievements

• Second place graduate poster presentation, R.F. Baker Plant Breeding Symposium 2019 • AAAS/Science Program for Excellence in Science Award 2017 • Fr. Eugene Dehner Award for Excellence in Biology, Benedictine College 2017 • Valedictorian, Benedictine College 2017 • Second place undergraduate oral presentation, Kansas Academy of Science 2016 • Second place undergraduate paper, Midwest Sociological Society 2015

Service

• Speaker Committee, R.F. Baker Plant Breeding Symposium 2018 – Present o Committee Chair 2019 - Present • Treasurer, Agronomy Graduate Student Organization 2019 • Borlaug Inspire Day presenter 2019 • Secretary, Interdepartmental Graduate Group 2018 • St. Cecilia Catholic Church Middle School Youth Ministry Leader 2018 – Present • Iowa State Science and Technology Fair judge 2018, 2019 • Iowa Academic Decathlon state competition judge 2018