Miranda J. Haus

Miranda J. Haus is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. Her research explores root architecture and developmental responses to biotic and abiotic stress in horticultural crops, with a focus on dry beans and Arabidopsis.

• Ph.D., Plant Biology, University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana
• B.S., Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana

Her work bridges plant physiology, genetics, and sustainable agriculture to address food security challenges. Key projects include:

• Characterizing root traits in dry beans for Fusarium root rot resilience
• Investigating indirect selection in dry bean breeding programs
• Developing automated root disease assessment tools

Recent research trends highlight climate change impacts on agriculture, advanced phenotyping methods, and crop stress responses.

• USDA Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018)
• Department-, college-, and university-level teaching awards

Haus collaborates with Robin Buell and Karen Cichy, supported by grants from USDA and institutional research funds. She is affiliated with the Bean Improvement Cooperative, R-Ladies East Lansing, and the American Society of Plant Biologists.