• Development of competitive grain sorghum hybrids for central Texas, the Coastal Bend, the Rio Grande Valley, and northeast Mexico• Administer both inbred line development and pre-commercial yield testing programs• Management of research station and team members located at Bishop, Texas • Relaunched nursery breeding operations in South Texas• Lead hybrid advancements through multiple brands• Create technical recommendations for product positioning• Responsible for budget management, personnel recruitment, personnel training and development• Integrate current molecular breeding technologies into the existing sorghum breeding pipelineInnovative Seed Solutions LLC is a joint-venture between Monsanto Company and Remington Holding Company, LLC., established in 2016 with an initial strategic focus on sorghum.

• Trained by Dr. Bill Rooney, Borlaug Chair of Plant Breeding, in applied plant breeding research in the country’s largest public breeding program for sorghum• Developed strong understanding of sorghum germplasm, plant breeding theory, and how to manage a breeding pipeline• Developed familiarity with genomics technologies and how to implement these tools in modern breeding programs• Researched genetic gain from long-term selection in hybrid grain sorghum breeding programs• Investigated the genetics of black pericarp sorghum, known to contain high levels of the the flavanoid 3-deoxyanthocyaninidn, a compound with high antioxidant potential• Administered the specialty grain sorghum breeding program• Facilitated operations associated with bioenergy sorghum, sweet sorghum and forage sorghum breeding programs• Maintained summer, fall and winter breeding nurseries and yield trials including planting, weed/pest management, collection of phenotypic observations and harvest of more than 60,000 research plots each year• Self- and cross-pollination of sorghum breeding trials• Coordinated activities of undergraduate student workers

• Lab Instructor, “World Food and Fiber Crops” & ”Introduction to Soil Science” • Presented course material to 40 undergraduate students each week• Evaluated student learning by creating and grading weekly quizzes• Averaged 4.5 (1-5 scale) on final teaching assistant evaluation survey

• Conducted applied plant breeding research in the Corn Inbred Line Development Program• Facilitated Dr. Tom Carslon, Line Development Breeder, and Brian Gardunia, Discovery Breeder, with various research activities• Investigation of marker assisted selection methods in order to exterminate a mutant allele from germplasm• Analyzed field notes and marker assisted selection data using inferential statistical methods• Examined plots and collected notes on plant phenotypic observations• Summarized and presented research findings to Monsanto colleagues• Sampled plots for marker assisted selection genotypic analysis• Self-pollination and cross-pollination of corn field trials• Inoculated corn field trials with common plant pathogens• Supervised and instructed summer field laborers • Assisted coordination of daily field research operations during pollination cycle

• Conducted quantitative corn genetic research with Dr. Jode Edwards• Preformed an independent research project that analyzed the genetics of selection response in maize populations • Conducted extensive phenotypic observations, especially for plant architecture and maturity• Overhauled germplasm inventory, increasing organization and efficiency• Gained expertise in operation of PRISM (Plant Research Information Sharing Manager) software • Self-pollinated and cross-pollinated, planted & harvested corn field trials

• Assisted with plant breeding research including research plot planting, plot establishment and maintenance, organizing and completing pollination, harvesting and analyzing samples• Collected high quality data on specific traits of economic importance such as maturity and disease resistance• Traveled to research locations across the state of Illinois as part of the data collection process• Lead groups of co-workers to complete required tasks• Conducted and presented research to Pioneer colleagues on the efficacy of seed treatment on plant population and early plant vigor• Toured corporate headquarter facilities in Johnston, IA

Conducted independent research on the dedicated energy crop Miscanthus x giganteus under the guidance of Dr. Emily Heaton, Assistant Professor of Agronomy.