![](https://polysaint.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Tessa-Hochhaus-276x300.jpg)
Tessa Hochhaus is originally from Gainesville, Florida. She received her B.S. in 2019 from the University of Florida in Plant Science, specializing in Genetics. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research on Downey mildew resistance in basil and developing coleus with maximum aesthetic appeal. She completed two internships during her undergraduate degree, one at Pleasant View Gardens in Loudon, New Hampshire, and another at Kientzler Young Plants in Gensingen, Germany. In fall 2020, Tessa began pursuing a Ph.D. in horticulture at Texas A&M and joined the Rose Breeding & Genetics program.
Tessa’s graduate work involves identifying molecular markers for black spot resistance within tetraploid populations. She is also looking at a diploid population to phenotype for multiple quantitative traits including defoliation, Cercospora leaf spot, black spot, and flower intensity.