Rodney Robichaud

Purdue University
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources  
1159 Forestry Building 
West Lafayette, IN 47907-1159
(765) 496-7685

EDUCATION:

Ph. D. Candidate, Forestry & Natural Resources, Purdue University, Research interest:  Population Genetics of Black Walnut, Expected date of graduation, June 2004

Master of Science, Warnell School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, 2000, Magna Cum Laude.  Major: Forest Resources.
Bachelor of Science, State University of New York, College of Environmental  Sciences and Forestry, 1991, Magna Cum Laude.  Major: Environmental Forest Biology.

Associate of Science, State University of New York, Adirondack Community College, 1989, Magna Cum.  Major: Math and Science.

 
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:  
July 2000 – present.  Biological Science Technician, (GS-0404), Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, USDA - Forest Service.  Research emphasis: Using molecular biology in studying black walnut population genetics and related species.

August 1998 - July 2000.  Biological Technician, (GS-0404), North Central Research Station, USDA - Forest Service.  Research emphasis: Improve the maturation of butternut somatic embryos, hormonal injection study for the induction of early flowering of Eastern white pine, and maintenance of transformed hybrid poplar lines. 

September 1995 - August 1998.  Graduate Student, Warnell School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia.  Major research emphasis: Improved maturation of American chestnut somatic embryos.  Minor research emphasis: In vitro propagation of eastern cottonwood and sweetgum.

 

September 1991 - August 1992.  Research Assistant, Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington.  Research emphasis: Seasonal variation of alcohol dehydrogenase and sucrose metabolizing enzymes activities and messenger expression from cambium tissue of eastern cottonwood.

May, 1991 - August 1991.  Field Research Assistant, Cranberry Lake Biological Research Station, Cranberry Lake, New York.  Research emphasis: Alcohol dehydrogenase isozyme study in quaking aspen, and bark beetle attraction to various age class trees of sugar maple and white spruce.

PUBLICATIONS:  

  • Robichaud, R. L. and Merkle, S. A., Asparagine enhance germination of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) somatic embryos. Plant Cell Reports (In press).

  • Robichaud, R. L. and Merkle, S. A., Thidiazuron induced shoot formation in Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides).  Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture (In press).

 

PRESENTATIONS:  
Rodney L. Robichaud, Olin E. Rhodes, Jr., and Keith Woeste,  Genetic Analysis of Juglans nigra from a Provenance Test, 2001 Spring Symposium, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
Keith Woeste, Rodney L. Robichaud, Olin E. Rhodes, Jr., Jeanne Romero-Severson, and Charles Michler, Using Microsatellites to Inform Quantitative Genetic Analysis of a Provenance-Progeny Test: Ignorance is Bliss, IUFRO, Tree Biotechnology in the Next Millennium, July, 2001, Stevenson, WA.
Rodney L. Robichaud, Olin E. Rhodes, Jr., Keith Woeste, and Jeff Glaubitz. The Genetic Effects of a Diameter Limited Cut On Black Walnut, 13th Central Hardwood Forest Conference, April, 2002, Champaign, IL.