Barley Team

Dr. Jamie Sherman

Barley Program Director - Barley Breeder

[email protected] - 406-994-5055

Jamie Sherman is the barley breeder at Montana State University.   Her program is developing new varieties for all barley end-uses including food, forage and feed, but a primary focus is on developing lines with improved malt quality.   Towards that goal, she has developed a fully functional Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab  not only to support the breeding program, but also stakeholders and the malting industry. 

Field Team

Greg Lutgen

Field & Seed Lab

Manager

[email protected]

 858-442-7618

Greg was born in San Diego, California and graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a degree in Field Biology. After spending a year studying an endangered marine grass, Zostera marina, he moved to Bozeman where he soon joined the barley breeding team. As the field technician he manages the plants during the growing season and oversees the collection of all the program's agronomic data. When not at the Post Farm or in the Seed Lab, you can always find him fishing the Gallatin River.

Autumn Hill

Field Support

Undergraduate Researcher

Cody Turner

Field Support

Undergraduate Researcher

Malt Quality Lab

Hannah Uhlmann

Director

[email protected]

406-404-6599

Hannah has been involved in plant science research for the past decade, receiving both bachelors and Masters distinctions, and has acted as Director of the Montana State University Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab since 2016. The Lab performs both research and service, providing data for the Universities’ Barley Breeding Program and industry members across the barley value network. Hannah works closely with the American Society of Brewing Chemist’s and the Craft Maltster's Guild heading initiatives improving malt testing methods and leading educational programs. When not in the lab, Hannah spends time enjoying Montana with her family.

Beth Wallace

Barley, Malt & Brewing Lab

Research Assistant

[email protected]

Beth is a plant scientist with almost a decade of experience in lab and field research, specializing in cereal crop trials and quality testing. She holds a B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Montana State University, with minors in Genetics and Environmental Horticulture. Beth is skilled in data analysis (R, Python), laboratory protocols, and collaborative agricultural research. She’s passionate about supporting sustainable crop development through science and innovation.

Outside of the lab, you’ll likely find her quilting or spending time with her two cats. 

Chloe Hinson

Barley, Malt & Brewing Lab

Research Assistant

[email protected]

Chloe completed her bachelor's degree in microbiology at the University of Maryland and worked as an undergraduate to investigate small fruit pathology under Dr. Mengjun Hu. Following graduation, she continued at UMD with Dr. Macarena Farcuh, exploring fruit quality improvement strategies with physical trait and molecular expression analysis. She graduated from Montana State University in 2025 with an M.S. in Plant Science under Dr. Lachowiec's advisement, where she researched wheat quality and gene expression during heat stress. 

Cat Beard

Brewing Intern

Undergraduate Researcher

Graduate Students

Trevor Palone

PhD Candidate

[email protected]

585-356-4210

Trevor grew up working with his family’s landscaping company in Buffalo, New York where his interest in working with plants first developed. He received his bachelor’s in Horticulture from Temple University where his admiration for the plant sciences continued to blossom through further education on plant physiological functions and plant-environment interactions; a time where he also discovered the hobby of homebrewing. After college he spent 4 years professionally brewing beer in various craft beer industry market segments (farm brewery, brewpub and regional brewery). This led to him pursing a Master’s Degree in Plant Sciences and joining the Barley Breeding Program at Montana State University with the goal of combining his experiences to develop malting-type barley that is resilient to the current constraining impacts on the agriculture, malt, and beer production value chain.

Janaki Mahat

Masters Candidate

[email protected]

Janaki Mahat, a graduate student from Nepal, is a dedicated agricultural professional committed to ensuring food security for communities. She completed her undergraduate degree in agriculture from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Following her bachelor's degree, Janaki seized an internship opportunity at the Sedot Negev Agriculture Training Centre in Israel, where she gained invaluable insights into agricultural practices in arid landscapes, reinforcing her belief that challenges are opportunities for growth.

Coming from a farming background, Janaki witnessed firsthand challenges crops face due to pests and diseases. Motivated to contribute to resilient crop development, she pursued a Master’s Degree in Plant Sciences program and joined Barley Breeding lab at Montana State University. Currently, Janaki is actively involved in a research project aimed at identifying genes resistant to wheat stem sawfly in barley, furthering her commitment to agricultural innovation and community welfare.

Akshara Bathini

PhD Candidate

[email protected]

406-994-2792

After completing her bachelor’s degree in agriculture from PJTS Agricultural University, Hyderabad, India, Akshara’s fascination with genetics inspired her to pursue Masters in genetics and plant breeding at Nagaland University, India. Back home, she developed a deep passion for gardening and multi cropping which drives her commitment to advancing sustainable crop production. To deepen her exploration, Akshara is pursuing PhD in Plant Genetics in the Barley Breeding lab at MSU. She focuses primarily on abiotic stress studies in barley (heat and drought) and wheat by leveraging GWAS and transcriptomic approaches. Her work aims to uncover the genetic basis of stress tolerance in barley, contributing to the development of more resilient crops and advancing the field of sustainable agriculture.

Lakyn Sonday

Masters Candidate

[email protected]

715-331-9317

Lakyn is a graduate student from a small town in Northern Wisconsin who spent summers picking berries surrounded by hundreds of small-scale farms and orchards. She moved to Montana to attend Montana State University, where she received her undergraduate degree in Plant Science. She worked in many labs across the PSPP Department as an undergraduate, aiding in lab projects under PhD candidates, when she decided to pursue higher education. She now works in the Barley Breeding Program studying the early growth traits of barley and their relation to primary characteristics such as height, yield, and disease resistance. Her research lays the foundation for identifying genetic markers that breeders can use to select for stronger and more adaptable barley lines. When she is not scanning roots, she can be found learning about and tasting wines from around the world, combining her scientific curiosity and a love for viticulture. 

Chiseche Mwanza

PhD Candidate

[email protected]

406-551-0051

Chiseche Mwanza is a passionate plant scientist with dual Master’s degrees, one in Plant Pathology from Montana State University and another in Plant Breeding & Seed Systems from the University of Zambia. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Plant Science from the University of Zambia.

She brings a unique blend of practical field and laboratory experience to her work. At Syngenta Zambia, she contributed extensively to the Corn Breeding Program, focusing on maize trial execution and hybrid development. Her laboratory research at Montana State University explored the role of beneficial soil microbes in plant disease control, strengthening her expertise in integrated crop protection.

Her broader interests include plant genetics, disease resistance, and sustainable agricultural systems, with a long-term goal of enhancing food security in stress-prone environments.

Naldy Celestin

Masters Candidate

[email protected]

Naldy completed his bachelor's degree in Agronomy at the University of Quisqueya in Haiti and worked as an undergraduate to investigate the Characterization of Jatropha Curcas and the heredity of male sterility. Following graduation, he worked for four years exploring different varieties of Sorghum and Corn under drought conditions. In 2021, he received a scholarship from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to attend the University of Puerto Rico in Environmental Sciences. Currently, As a graduate Student in Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology at Montana State University his research project focuses on: Optimizing Agricultural Inputs for Cost-Effective Forage Production: Strategies for Sustainable Livestock Feed Systems.

Lula Langdon

PhD Candidate

Joining us soon!