People

Hannah Kinmonth-Schultz

Dr. Hannah Kinmonth-Schultz grew up in Hanover, WI. She attained her Associates degree at the University of Wisconsin – Rock County community college before graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a Bachelor’s degree in Botany. She received her Master’s in the School of Environment and Forest Resources with an emphasis on plant physiological ecology and invasive species, and her PhD in Biology focusing on plant molecular biology and phenology, both at the University of Washington in Seattle. She is an established plant scientist with expertise in plant environmental perception and in what controls a plants’ transition to flowering. Hannah is also an enthusiastic educator and has worked with students in the K-12 system as well as at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She has a specific focus in using teaching strategies that build transferable skills and improve critical thinking, and that improve confidence and resiliency in her students. At home, she enjoys doing creative and outdoor activities with her husband and two children.

Jenna Morris

Graduate student Jenna Morris has a background in regenerative vegetable and cut‑flower production that includes familiarity with cover crop management, and her work spans insect identification, microbial characterization, and conservation of native habitats. As an NSF NRT Engendering the Spirit of the Gadugi fellow, she has contributed to community‑based sustainability initiatives and outreach. In her current project with Dr. Kinmonth, Jenna is processing and identifying arthropod specimens, analyzing soil microbial data, interpreting vegetation surveys, conducting farmer interviews, and synthesizing results into producer‑relevant guidance and outreach materials. In her free time, Jenna enjoys birding, hiking and camping, and spending time with her dog.

Knicki Hopper-Hart

Hi! My name is Knicki Hopper-Hart, and I am a senior in the College of Agriculture at Tennessee Tech. I have a double concentration in Horticulture and Nursery-Landscape Management. I grew up in Hendersonville and Murfreesboro, but now live in Cookeville with my wonderful husband and two kitties. I am currently researching the FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) gene in Physaria globosa. My favorite flower is the coral honeysuckle; my favorite fruits are strawberries, peaches, and tomatoes; and my favorite herb is basil! In my free time I like to play video games, roller skate, garden, weight train, hike, swim, camp, cook, and spend time with my friends and family. In the Kinmonth lab, I work to detect and sequence the FLC gene in P. globosa via real-time PCR amplification.

Lilliana Mahler

Bio coming soon!

Krislyn Stanley

Hello, my name is Krislyn Stanley! I’m a senior undergraduate at Tennessee Tech. My major is Biology with a concentration in Environmental Biology and a minor in Geology. My hobbies are rock climbing, working out, dancing, and hiking. I started doing lab work with Dr. Kinmonth in the Spring of 2026 doing insect identification, and I’m doing research in her lab over the summer of 2026! It’s been a very rewarding experience, and I’ve learned a lot. This lab has allowed me to take initiative because I was assigned my own project, given the ability to do my own research, and create and implement protocols for our experiments. Additionally, my interests in environmental biology align well with the goals of her lab because we are working towards solutions that are more environmentally friendly. I appreciate the opportunity I’ve been given in this lab, as I know these skills will translate well to my professional life.

Macey Warren

Hi! My name is Macey Warren. I am currently a senior working to get my undergraduate degree in Biology with a concentration in environmental biology. In the Kinmonth Lab I am currently researching the impacts of native wildflower cover crops on pollinator communities in local farms. I am from Morristown, Tennessee, but have been in Cookeville as a student for the past three years. In my free time I love to listen to music from Twenty One Pilots and Noah Kahan. I also love to explore the local state parks around here and spend time with my cat Mabel.

Sarah Elliott

Hello, my name is Sarah Elliott. I received my Master’s in Biology at Tennessee Technological University. I grew up in South Haven Michigan on my family’s farm. I attained my Bachelor’s in Environmental Biology from Ferris State University. I have worked on other research projects for the University of Michigan State and North Dakota State University, where I found out I would like to do my own research project. I worked with Dr. Kinmonth on the physiological responses of an endangered plant to climate change. In my free time I love to play volleyball and go on hikes. 

Katie Pabody

Hello, my name is Katie Pabody. I was a master’s student at Tennessee Technological University, advised by Dr. Kinmonth. I graduated in December of 2025. I am originally from Ithaca, New York and obtained my bachelor’s degree in Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. Prior to starting my master’s, I spent a few years moving around working as an invasive species and wildlife technician–the most recent position being as a Tern and Plover Monitoring Technician for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Riverdale, North Dakota. I worked with Dr. Kinmonth to study integrated pest management strategies for sustainable agriculture. I am excited to share our work with the local community. In my free time, I love exploring new places and eating good food.

Avery Bradley

Hi, I am Avery Bradley. I am a double major in zoology and wildlife and fisheries with a concentration in conservation. I am from Gallatin, Tennessee, and before I came to TTU I spent my first two years there at Volunteer State Community College where I studied environmental science.  In my free time I enjoy reading, hanging out with friends, listening to music, and spending time outside. In the Kinmonth lab, I work to identify insects and to design education materials for the public regarding beneficial insects.

Kaitlyn Darnell

My name is Kaitlyn Darnell and I am a Biology major with a concentration in zoology on a pre-vet track. I love nature and it’s intricacies, and I enjoy academics. When outside of school I like to read and sew toys for my pets! In the Kinmonth lab, I participated in fieldwork and worked to identify insects.

Emma Farley

Hi! My name is Emma Farley. I graduated from Tennessee Tech with a degree in Biology. I was born and mostly raised in Nashville, Tennessee. I have a concentration in Environmental Biology that helps me gain a holistic perspective of how organisms interact with different aspects of their environment. I hope to use what I’ve learned here and continue to build on the pool of knowledge used to understand and mitigate the effects of climate change. 

I assisted Dr. Kinmonth on her project analyzing the variation in vernalization responses of Arabidopsis thaliana populations in Norway. We hope to determine a relationship between different aspects of the climate and the flowering times based on data collected over a thirty-year period.  

Olivia Hudson

Hello, my name is Olivia Hudson. I am an Undergraduate pursuing a degree in in Biology with a concentration in Health Sciences, in addition to two minors in English and Psychology. I am from a small town in Tennessee called Coalfield. At Tennessee Technological University during summer 2024, I assisted with research involving physiological and molecular responses of plants to climate change and how they grow in different environments. When I am not in the lab, I enjoy writing novels, reading, and spending time with family and friends. I hope to go on to purse a career in the medical field either in research or in a clinical setting. The knowledge that I have accumulated throughout my time working with Dr. Kinmonth and her other students has been invaluable, and all the skills I have learned with help me in the pursuit of achieving my goals. 

Noah Inkrot

Hello, my name is Noah Inkrot, I am a senior getting my undergraduate degree in biology with a concentration in botany. I am from Franklin, Tennessee and I got my Associate of Science degree at Columbia State Community College, before coming here to Tennessee Tech. I love plants and have worked at plant nurseries and gardens. I look forward to using my research experience to continue my career in plants.

I worked under Dr. Kinmonth-Shultz in the Summer of 2024 doing molecular and genetic research into the flowering gene of Physaria globosa, an endangered plant here in Tennessee. In my free time I love going outdoors and finding rare and interesting plants.  

Alexis Mears

Hello, my name is Alexis mears. I am a junior getting my Bachelors degree in biology with a double concentration in marine biology and zoology. I am from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Before I came to TTU, I was a student at Motlow State Community College where I got my Associate of Science. I am currently researching a different form of pest management for sustainable farming. In my free time I listen to Noah Kahan, compete in dog sports, or read a good book. In the Kinmonth lab, I conduct fieldwork, identify insects, and performed photo image analysis on leaf insect damage.

Kaiya Sporalsky

Kaiya Sporalsky is a Botany concentration Biology major and TN Tech. Kaiya worked worked with the Kinmonth lab during the summer of 2025 and Spring of 2026 to create outreach and informational materials on alternative native plants and on arthropod identification for graduate student Katie Pabody. Kaiya graduated in Fall 2026.

Jamar Sullivan

Hello my name is Jamar Sullivan, and I graduated with a degree in Mathematics undergraduate at Tennessee Technological University. I am originally from Tallahassee, Florida and attended Florida State University for a couple of years before transferring to TTU. My dream job position is to be a data analyst or statistician. 

I began working under Dr. Kinmonth-Schultz at the beginning of the Spring 2023 Semester as a data analyst. Most of my time working was been spent performing analytics on a Wheat data set from Rossville, Kansas. The main goal of my studies is fitting a model that allows us to determine flowering time accurately, using various parameters such as weather, flowering genes, and carbohydrates. 

Eduardo Toala-Hidalgo

Hello, my name is Eduardo Toala-Hidalgo. I am a senior at Tennessee Tech University working on acquiring a bachelor’s in Wildlife and Fisheries Science with a concentration in Conservation Biology. My interest primarily lies in the conservation of endangered fish species and lotic aquatic systems. However, I do find plants, insects, reptiles, birds, and amphibians of interest as well. I was born and raised in Cookeville, TN. I work as a field and lab technician for the Tennessee Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, and I assisted the Kinmonth Lab in the identification of varying terrestrial insects. I am grateful for the opportunity the Kinmonth Lab has provided me to further develop as a professional and acquire well rounded skills within the scope of my field of study. In my free time, my hobbies include: cooking, fishing, snorkeling, hiking, and boxing.