Kirk Pomper

Kirk Pomper is a principal investigator of horticulture and curator of the USDA National Clonal Germplasm Repository for pawpaw species in the KSU Land Grant Program. He holds a PhD in horticulture from Oregon State University, and MS and BS degrees in horticulture from the University of Minnesota. His research has focused on evaluating genetic diversity of pawpaw across its native range in the southeastern United States using DNA-based marker systems. As manager of KSU’s Core Molecular Genetics Facility he has cooperated on projects including the evaluation of genetic diversity in aquaculture species and identification of honeybee pathogens. He has published 29 refereed publications and 58 abstracts in the past decade. Pomper teaches a senior course in understanding biotechnology that integrates lecture and laboratory training in molecular biology.