USDA-FAS Borlaug Fellowship Program with Fellow, Dr. Kemal Melih Taskin, Head of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics from Canakkale 18 Mart University in Canakkale, Turkiye and mentor Dr. Hamid Ashrafi. Through te 12 week fellowship goal was to determine the function of the genes involve in one of the components of apomixis through complementation analysis. After the fellowship at NC State, Dr. Ashrafi would then conduct a reciprocal visit to the research laboratories in Turkey to maintain research collaborations.