Jonathan Kinczyk

Degree: Master of Science

Thesis Title: Discovery and Analysis of QTL for Important Processing Traits and Resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. batatas in the DC Sweetpotato Mapping Population

How are you planning to use your degree?

I am still figuring out what I may end up doing with my degree. I hope to use the skills and knowledge gained to develop better varieties of agricultural and/or horticultural crops. This could be strictly from the breeder’s perspective or perhaps as a pathologist. The combination of the two, of course, would be the ideal situation as the two skills go hand-in-hand.

List clubs and activities while in school.

• Plant Breeding Club
• Pi Alpha Xi – President
• Intramural Ultimate Frisbee and Soccer

Whom do you want to thank?

I want to thank my wife, Mallory, and my parents for believing in me during this entire journey. I would also like to thank all of the friends I have met during my time here in North Carolina, whether they were part of the ultimate frisbee teams I played with or whether they were colleagues along the way.

I want to thank Ken Pecota for pushing me to be a critical thinker as a scientist and for showing me how to be passionate about the work you pursue.

Thank you to Craig Yencho, my adviser, for helping me through this journey and for believing in me from the very beginning to the end.

What is the best thing about studying horticulture at NC State?

There are a lot of students passionate about so many little areas of horticulture that I never even thought about! I also enjoyed the great support personnel within the department!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-kinczyk-40178939/

Advisor Comments (Craig Yencho):
Jon, Congratulations on completing your MS in Horticultural Science with an emphasis in Plant Breeding and Genetics. You took on a very challenging sweetpotato genetic mapping project and you have helped to drive our science forward. It certainly wasn’t an easy task but you used the resources around you, you worked extremely hard and listened to the advice of your committee members, and you finished what you started exceptionally well.  You should be proud of your accomplishments.  Thank you!

Best wishes for the future.

Comments:

Stephen Kinczyk:
Your hard work has paid off!

Congratulations Jon, I’m very proud of you.

Ron & Cheryl Kinczyk
We applaud your strong work ethic. You are passionate about your Lord, your wife, your family and your work. You have an inquisitive mind and innate curiosity as to how things work. You are compassionate about other people. Congratulations on your Masters degree! We cant wait to see what God has in store for your life.

Love, Mom & Dad

Geoff Kinczyk
To always wanting to know more about succulents! Planting trees in the front yard that have grown taller than we have. I’m so proud of all the work you have put in with calculus, statistics and bio-chemistry. Your impact on food will, like many agricultural be forever known without credit being truly given. Congratulations on the completion of your degree and the next steps ahead!

Lis Meyer (Hort Teaching Faculty)
Congrats John!!! It was a pleasure getting to know you, and thank you for all your work with PAX and as my TA. I wish you the best in whatever comes next!