GRS Student Awarded Fulbright-Mitacs Internship for Summer Research in Canada

Ella McGrath, a third-year student double majoring in Horticulture and Global Resource Systems, has been selected for a Fulbright-Mitacs Globalink Research Internship this summer — a fully funded, competitive program placing U.S. students at Canadian universities for twelve weeks of hands-on research.

Ella will work with Dr. Jane Morrison at Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec, on a project evaluating the use of biodiverse hedgerows in organic agriculture. She will compare hedgerows to mowed grass across an educational farm and ten partner farms in the region, assessing ecosystem services including pollinator support, pest control, soil health, and crop yields. Her work will culminate in a practical decision tool to help farmers determine whether hedgerows are a worthwhile investment.

Ella brings impressive research experience to this opportunity, having spent three years working with Dr. Dior Kelley on auxin response factor genes in maize roots and earning the American Society of Plant Biologists’ Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. She was also recently recognized with third place for her poster presentation at the 2026 CALS Research Day.

We are proud of Ella’s achievement and excited to see what her summer in Quebec will bring. Congratulations, Ella!