Aaron Kusmec, PhD

Assistant Professor
Crop Quantitative Genetics

3706 Throckmorton PSC
1712 Claflin Rd
Manhattan, KS 66506-0110

Email Dr. Kusmec

Curriculum Vitae (pdf)

GRA Position Open

Aaron Kusmec joined Kansas State University in 2024 as an Assistant Professor of Crop Quantitative Genetics in the Department of Agronomy. He received his B.S. in Biology from Truman State University (2014) and Ph.D. in Genomics and Genetics from Iowa State University (2021). He has published research on genetic mapping and exploratory analysis of phenotypic plasticity, heat stress tolerance in maize, climate change impacts on agriculture, optimal mate selection strategies, and analysis of image-based high-throughput phenotyping. His research program integrates traditional quantitative genetics with high-dimensional statistics, mathematical modeling, and high-performance computing to study (1) opportunities for the use of HTP, machine learning, and AI in complex trait analysis and plant breeding; (2) modeling and genetic analysis of interactions between organisms and dynamic environments; and (3) optimization of plant breeding processes and programs to address challenges posed by climate change.