PC alumna’s research in entomology connects climate change, pest management, and microbiology

Kenedie Jones, a 2023 graduate of Presbyterian College, has been awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, one of the highest honors available to graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

Bugs, Bacteria, and Bigger Questions

Now a master’s student in entomology at the University of Georgia, Jones is conducting research on facultative endosymbionts—beneficial bacteria that live inside pea aphids and affect their interactions with other species.

Her work focuses on Hamiltonella defensa, a symbiont known to provide protection from parasitoid wasps and heat stress. She studies how these bacteria influence wasp diversity and, in turn, how environmental pressures such as temperature shifts affect symbiont populations.

“My research specifically looks at how parasitoid wasp species diversity is affected by the diversity of bacterial symbionts in a population of pea aphids,” she said. “Symbiont presence, type, and level of protection can act as selection pressures or competition mediators between different parasitoid species.”

The work has wide-ranging implications. It offers insight into how climate change might disrupt insect communities and also has potential applications in agriculture and pest management, particularly in natural biocontrol strategies.

Applying to the NSF: Science and Storytelling

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship requires more than strong research credentials. Applicants must also demonstrate the broader impacts of their work and communicate their ideas clearly to a wide audience. For Jones, her dual major in biology and English at Presbyterian College proved to be a powerful asset.

“Having this background helped me be clear and concise while also having the flexibility to be both creative in my personal statement and technical in my research statement,” she said.

Her successful application included letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and a research proposal. She credits a class dedicated to the application process, as well as guidance from faculty and peers, for helping her navigate the complexities of grant writing.

“I had never applied for a grant before,” she said. “I was honestly shocked when I received the fellowship, but it’s been exciting—and I’m still navigating where it might lead next.”

A Launchpad at Presbyterian College

Jones said her time at PC was foundational to her success. She points to mentors like English professor Dr. Emily Taylor and biology professor Dr. Mike Rischbieter as key to developing her research skills. Classes with English professor Robert Stutts and biology professor Dr. Austin Shull also helped her sharpen both her creative and scientific writing.

Her first exposure to research came through PC’s Summer Fellows program, where she worked with Rischbieter on a project studying foraminifera microfossils from the Pee Dee Formation in Florence, S.C.

“I loved working with microfossils so much, but the field was so niche,” she said. “That’s when I started exploring other paths and landed on microbiology.”

Although her passion for microscopic organisms began in the field of paleontology, it ultimately led her to symbiotic bacteria in living insects. Entomology began as a side interest—but soon became central to her research identity.

She also recalled a PC Maymester trip to the Galápagos Islands as one of her most transformative experiences, helping to deepen her curiosity about ecology and evolution.

Faith, Family, and Future Plans

Originally from Jacksonville, Fla., Jones spent much of her childhood in South America, where her parents served as missionaries. Her family relocated to Clinton, S.C., in 2014, allowing her to attend Presbyterian College just a short walk from home.

During her time at PC, she met her husband, Nathaniel Jones, in Rischbieter’s paleontology class. The couple now lives in Athens, Ga., while she completes her graduate studies at UGA.

The two plan to return to upstate South Carolina, where they can be closer to family and their church community. They are active members of St. John of the Ladder Orthodox Church in Greenville and often spend their weekends there.

A Future in Scientific Discovery

As she looks ahead, Jones said she’s excited about the opportunities the NSF fellowship will open up—both in the lab and in the broader scientific community. Whether she continues in academia or enters the public or private sector, her research into insect symbionts and ecological dynamics is only just beginning.

And while her scientific journey may lead her across many disciplines, she’s quick to credit Presbyterian College with pointing the way.“The faculty are the strongest part of PC,” she said. “They challenged me and gave me the freedom to work independently—but also taught me how to collaborate and ask big questions.”

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