About

Thomas Chappell, Ph.D.

Vocation

I'm a biologist with basic interest in competition, coevolution, and disease. I study biological systems characterized by interactions, especially those between plants and their enemies. Statistical approaches to inference using data are of principal methodological interest to me. Results of my work are implemented as forecasting and decision-support tools for agriculture, and I collaborate broadly in developing these applications.

Education

Post-doctoral, Entomology, North Carolina State University

Ph.D., Biology, Duke University

B.S. with distinction (magna cum laude), Biology, University of Michigan

B.M. (summa cum laude), Performance, University of Michigan

Publication

Chappell TM, Ward RV, DePolt KT, Roberts PM, Greene JK, Kennedy GG (2020) Cotton Thrips Infestation Predictor: A practical tool for predicting tobacco thrips (Frankliniella fusca) infestation of cotton seedlings in the southeastern United States. Pest Manag. Sci. doi:10.1002/ps.5954

Chappell TM, Codod CB, Williams BW, Kemerait RC, Culbreath AK, Kennedy GG (2020) Adding Epidemiologically Important Meteorological Data to Peanut Rx, the Risk Assessment Framework for Spotted Wilt of Peanut. Phytopathology 110:1199-1207. doi:PHYTO-11-19-0438-R

Davis II RL, Greene JK, Dou F, Jo YK, Chappell TM (2020) A Practical Application of Unsupervised Machine Learning for Analyzing Plant Image Data Collected Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Agronomy 10:633. doi:10.3390/agronomy10050633

Ben-Mahmoud S, Anderson T, Chappell TM, Smeda JR, Mutschler MA, Kennedy GG, De Jong DM, Ullman DE (2019) A thrips vector of tomato spotted wilt virus responds to tomato acylsugar chemical diversity with reduced oviposition and virus inoculation. Sci. Rep. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-53473-y

Magarey RD, Klammer SSH, Chappell TM, Trexler CM, Pallipparambil GR, Hain EF (2019) Perspective: Eco-efficiency as a strategy for optimizing the sustainability of pest management. Pest Manag. Sci. doi:10.1002/ps.5560

Chappell TM, Magarey RD, Kurtz R, Trexler CM, Pallipparambil GR, Hain EF (2019) Perspective: Service-based business models to incentivize the efficient use of pesticides in crop protection. Pest Manag. Sci. doi:10.1002/ps.5523

Magarey RD, Chappell TM, Trexler CM, Pallipparambil GR, Hain EF (2019) Social Ecological System tools for improving crop pest management. J. Integrated Pest Manag. doi:10.1093/jipm/pmz004

Chappell TM, Huseth AS, Kennedy GG (2019) Stability of neonicotinoid sensitivity in Frankliniella fusca populations found in agroecosystems of the southeastern United States. Pest Manag. Sci. doi:10.1002/ps.5319

Ben-Mahmoud S, Smeda JR, Chappell TM, Stafford-Banks C, Kaplinsky CH, Anderson T, Mutschler MA, Kennedy GG, Ullman DE (2018) Acylsugar amount and fatty acid profile differentially suppress oviposition by western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, on tomato and interspecific hybrid flowers. PLOS ONE, 13(7). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0201583

Chappell TM and Kennedy GG (2018) Estimating the effectiveness of imidacloprid when used to suppress transmission of Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus in commercial agriculture.J. Econ. Entom. doi:10.1093/jee/toy164

Huseth AS, Chappell TM, Chitturi A, Jacobson AL, Kennedy GG (2018) Insecticide Resistance Signals Negative Consequences of Widespread Neonicotinoid Use on Multiple Field Crops in the U.S. Cotton Belt. Environ. Sci. Technol., doi:10.1021/acs.est.7b06015

Smeda JR, Schilmiller AL, Anderson T, Ben-Mahmoud S, Ullman DE, Chappell TM, Kessler A, Mutschler MA (2018) Combination of Acylglucose QTL reveals additive and epistatic genetic interactions and impacts insect oviposition and virus infection. Mol. Breeding, 38: 3. doi:10.1007/s11032-017-0756-z

Knowles LL, Chappell TM, Marquez EJ, Cohn TJ (2016) Tests of the Role of Sexual Selection in Genitalic Divergence with Multiple Hybrid Clines. J. Orthoptera Res., 25(2):75-82. doi:10.1665/034.025.0206

Chappell TM and Rausher MD (2016) Host range evolution in Coleosporium ipomoeae, a plant pathogen with multiple hosts. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 113(19): 5346-5351. doi:10.1073/pnas.1522997113

Leckie BM, D'Ambrosio DA, Chappell TM, Halitschke R, De Jong DM, Kessler A, Kennedy GG, Mutschler MA (2016) Differential and synergistic functionality of acylsugars in suppressing oviposition by insect herbivores PLOS ONE, 11(4), doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0153345

Huseth AS, Chappell TM, Langdon K, Morsello SC, Martin S, Greene JK, Herbert A, Jacobson AL, Reay-Jones FPF, Reed T, Reisig DD, Roberts PM, Smith R, Kennedy GG (2016) Frankliniella fusca resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides: an emerging challenge for cotton pest management in the Eastern United States. Pest Manag. Sci., 72: 1934-1945. doi:10.1002/ps.4232

Kennedy SR, Schultz EM, Chappell TM, Kohrn B, Knowels GM, Herr AJ (2015) Volatility of mutator phenotypes at single cell resolution. PLOS Genet., 11(4), doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1005151

Chappell TM, Kennedy GG, Walgenbach JF (2014) Predicting codling moth (Cydia pomonella) phenology in North Carolina based on temperature and improved generation turnover estimates. Pest Manag. Sci., 71: 1425-1432. doi:10.1002/ps.3947

Chappell TM, Beaudoin AL, Kennedy GG (2013) Interacting Virus Abundance and Transmission Intensity Underlie Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Incidence: An Example Weather-Based Model for Cultivated Tobacco. PLOS ONE, 8(8), doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073321

Chappell TM and Rausher MD (2011) Genetics of resistance to the rust fungus Coleosporium ipomoeae in three species of morning glory (Ipomoea). PLOS ONE, 6(12), doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028875

Tools

Cetera

I like to be outside, but spend many days at a computer.

I make music and enjoy fixing things.