Thilani Jayakody, a third-year graduate student in the Michigan State University’s Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, was recently announced as the recipient of the Potato LEAF's 2021-22 Academic Scholarship. Thilani joins podcast host Lane Nordlund and NPC's Mike Wenkel for a conversation about her background, academic research, and the importance of the Potato LEAF scholarship in helping her reach her career goals.  

The Potato Leadership, Education and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF) provides a $10,000 scholarship award annually to one graduate student with a strong interest in research that can directly benefit the U.S. potato industry. As a Ph.D. candidate and graduate research assistant, Thilani was recognized for her research in potato genome editing focused on the application of new breeding techniques for crop improvement.

For more information on Thilani's work and the Potato LEAF Academic Scholarship, visit pleaf.org.