United States Department of Agriculture

Research, Education, and Economics

Agricultural Research Service

January 31, 2020

ARPPIS-DAAD SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

Dear Sir/Madam,

Ms. Tabitha Wambui Kibuthu has applied for ARPPIS-DAAD scholarship to pursue her
doctoral studies and has requested me to submit a recommendation letter on her
behalf. I have known and interacted with Tabitha for more than 10 years, both at
personal and professional level, and I believe I know her well enough to comment on
her commitment and intellectual ability to undertake doctoral studies.

My professional interaction with Tabitha began in 2013 when she requested me for
support with her master’s thesis research. At the time, I was conducting some field
studies on mosquito ecology and behavior at the Mwea Rice Irrigation Scheme in
Central Kenya. I assigned her part of my research project that focused on developing a
better understanding of how fertilizers and pesticides that are commonly used in rice
cultivation influence the survival, development and oviposition behavior of two major
mosquito vectors, Anopheles arabiensis and Culex quinquefasciatus. This project
integrated field surveys with laboratory experiments and exposed Tabitha to a wide
array of skills in scientific research including experimental design, data collection and
management, statistical analyses, mosquito identification, scientific writing, presentation
of research findings to other scientists, and supervision of field assistants. Tabitha did
an outstanding job in her research and assisted me to manage other aspects of my
research when I returned to the United States. Her effort generated critical data on the
impact of agricultural chemicals on mosquito ecology that served as the basis for her
master’s thesis. She was also able to publish this research in the journal Parasites and
Vectors, which is one of the high-quality journals we have in our field. This paper was
published in September 2016 and has already been cited 18 times according to google
scholar citations statistics (accessed on January 31, 2020).

Some of the personal attributes I admired from Tabitha included her great attention to
details, inherent drive to excel, ability to adjust to changing work conditions and to work
with minimum supervision, high problem-solving skills and ability to set priorities and
multitask. She was also a well-liked and respected member of my group and quite
reliable. I consider myself fortunate to have met and worked with Tabitha, and I hope
she will be among those who will be selected for the award of the ARPPIS-DAAD
scholarship.

In summary, I enjoyed working with Tabitha and given how good she is, I view her as a
strong candidate for this application. I have had multiple discussions with her, and she
has always expressed her desire to pursue doctoral studies in science. I have every
National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research
Crop Bioprotection Research Unit
1815 N University Street
Peoria, Illinois 61604
USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
 United States Department of Agriculture

Research, Education, and Economics

Agricultural Research Service

reason to believe she will be an outstanding PhD student and strongly support her
application. To put it into perspective, if a PhD scholarship became available in my
department, I would be the strongest supporter of her application. Please, do not
hesitate to contact me if you need more information.

Sincerely,

________________________
Ephantus J. Muturi, Ph.D.
Research Entomologist
United States Department of Agriculture
1815 N. University St
Peoria, IL 61615
Phone: 309-681-6194

National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research

Crop Bioprotection Research Unit
1815 N University Street
Peoria, Illinois 61604
USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer