Horticultural Sciences' Best Kept Secret: Eileen Kabelka, cucurbit breeder

Eileen received her MS degree at Michigan State University and her PhD from The Ohio State University, specializing in plant breeding and genetics. She postdoc'd at the University of Illinois before joining the faculty in the Horticultural Sciences Department at UF/IFAS in May 2004 as an Assistant Professor of Cucurbit Breeding and Genetics. Her research efforts are directed towards implementing a breeding and genetics program for cucurbits in Florida using both traditional and molecular breeding methods. Specific objectives include enhancing cucurbits for traits of economic importance including disease and pest resistance, fruit quality, and fruit nutrition and developing superior cucurbit inbred lines for production of high quality hybrids. An integral part of her program includes teaching and training graduate students in the area of plant breeding and genetics.

Eileen may contacted at ekabelka@ifas.ufl.edu.