Bio
Julian B. Cosner is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Biosciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Dr. Cosner is an plant scientist and entomologist interested in understanding interspecific communication among biological systems to improve agriculture and biosecurity. His research focuses on community driven approaches given his expertise in plant nutrition, integrated pest management, and chemical ecology involved in multi-partite interactions. He earned his B.S. in Plant Sciences in 2016 and M.S. in Entomology and Plant Pathology in 2021 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. For his master's thesis, Dr. Cosner characterized the feeding behavior of Helicoverpa zea on hemp and determined its response to phenotypic variability. Concurrently, he completed his Ph.D. in Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Nematology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2024. His dissertation elucidated the phenology of hemp pests and their associated parasitoids as well as the influence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) employed during host recognition.
Awards
2024 Jimmy & Ileen Cheek Graduate Student Medal of Excellence Nominee
2023 Russell & Bobbie Bull Outstanding Ph.D. Gradate Student Award in Entomology
2022 Friends of IPM Master's Graduate Student Award
2021 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Emerging Scholar
2021 Charles Wheeler Most Outstanding M.S. Student Award in Entomology
2019 Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) Doctoral Scholar Fellow