Martel Ellis

Doctoral Candidate
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Contact Info

m.ellis@ku.edu

Lawrence

Biography —

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Maggie Wagner

Research Interest: Determining if variation in root and shoot traits can be used to predict the root and rhizosphere microbiome.

Hometown: Romulus, MI

Education —

B.S. in Biology, University of Kansas, 2023, Lawrence, KS

Selected Publications —

Clouse, K., M. Ellis, M., N. Ford, R. Hostetler, P. Balint-Kurti, M. Kleiner and M. Wagner. 2026. The Interaction Between Abiotic and Biotic Soil Factors Modulates Heterosis Expression in Maize. Phytobiomes Journal. 10(1), 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1094/PBIOMES-04-25-002-R.

Foxx, A.J., S. Arango-Caro, J.D. Bever, K. Brown, K.L. Callis-Duehl, L. Egerton-Warburton, N. Fahlgren, M. Gehan, M. Hanlon, R.J. Kaggwa, A. Kramer, T. Langewisch, T. McKenna, L. Rquibi, B. Sikes, A. Streit Krug, A. Stylianou, L. van der Pol, L. Vogel, E. Von Wettberg, J. Zeldin, N. Zerega, M. Allen, J. Braley, A. Carnahan, T.E. Crews, M. DuBois, M. Earnest, M. Ellis, K. Haggerty, H. Hemmelgarn, B. Kretzler, N. Monaghan, L.Y. Podzikowski, K. Schmiedeler, P. Schultz, L. Shimabukuro, I. Vergara, M. Wagner, R. Warner, G. Ziegler, K. Havens, I. Baxter, and A. Miller. 2025. New Roots for Restoration: Building a foundation for interdisciplinary work in plant organismal biology and ecology to advance restoration in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Plants, People, Planet.https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.70096

Selected Presentations —

Avery, N., M. Ellis, and M. Wagner. Analyzing the root nitrogen content of Tripsacum dactyloides. New Roots for Restoration Biological Integration Institute REU symposium. July 2026. Virtual oral presentation.

Ellis, M. Facing Imposter Syndrome in Academia. New Roots for Restoration Biological Integration Institute REU. June 2026. Oral presentation.

Ellis, M. Project 3.2 Lightning Talk. New Roots for Restoration Biological Integration Institute REU retreat. June 2026. Virtual oral presentation.

Ellis, M. Disentangling trait variation in Tripsacum dactyloides using a replicated common garden approach. BIO3 Seminar. August 2025. Symposium presentation.

Hart, H., Ellis, M., Wagner, M. Exploring stomatal variation in Tripsacum dactyloides. New Roots for Restoration Biological Integration Institute REU symposium. July 2025. Virtual oral presentation.

Williams, D., Clouse, K., Ellis, M., Wagner, M. Influence of soil chemical and physical properties on nutrient uptake and maize fitness. University of Kansas Office for Diversity in Science Training Symposium, April 2023. Poster presentation.

Wagner, M., Hudson, A., Clouse, K., Ellis, M., Balint-Kurti, P., Kleiner, M. Genetic architecture and molecular mechanisms of microbe-dependent heterosis. North Carolina State University Symposium, Spring 2023. Poster presentation.

Ellis, M., Clouse, K., Wagner, M. Influence of nutrient availability and land use on heterosis in maize. Denver Phytobiomes Conference, September 2022. Poster presentation.

Clouse, K., Ellis, M., Tso, F., Wagner, M. Investigating soil microbial mechanisms affecting heterosis in maize. International Society for Microbial Ecology Symposium, August 2022. Poster presentation.

Ellis, M., Clouse, K., Wagner, M. Influence of nutrient availability and land use on heterosis in maize. New Roots for Restoration – Biological Integration Institute seminar, August 2022. Virtual oral presentation.

Ellis, M., Clouse, K., Wagner, M. Influence of nutrient availability and land use on heterosis in maize. University of Kansas summer poster session, July 2022. Poster presentation.

Ellis, M., Clouse, K., Wagner, M. Influence of nutrient availability and land use on heterosis in maize. University of Kansas virtual poster session, July 2022. Virtual poster presentation.

Ellis, M. Comparing inbred and hybrid MAMP response in maize. University of Kansas Summer Undergraduate Research Award presentation, June 2022. Virtual oral presentation.

Memberships —

Ellis, M. Kansas University Graduate Fellowship. The University of Kansas. $33,000. 2023-2024 academic year.

Ellis, M. Madison and Lila Self Memorial Scholarship. The University of Kansas. $10,000. 2023-2024 academic year.

Ellis, M. KU EPSCoR REU. The University of Kansas. $8,000. 3 mo. 06/2022-08/2022. Funded. 4. Ellis, M. University of Kansas Undergraduate Research Award. The University of Kansas. $1,000. 2022-2023 academic year. Funded.