Responsible for parental line and hybrid development for the California, European, and South American markets, focusing on the integration of next-gen predictive analytics with traditional plant breeding. My role as a manager is to provide a safe, inclusive, and efficient work environment while we get the job done.

After the 2016 Low Falling Numbers crisis, wheat farmers needed protection from losing millions of dollars again due to low grain quality. My genetic research on preharvest sprouting tolerance (PHS) and Falling Numbers was accelerated to meet these demands. After screening 469 PNW wheat breeding lines, I identified 12 new genetic locations that WSU and USDA wheat breeders immediately used to introgress tolerance into their germplasm. Increased grower knowledge on agronomic best practices were also a result of this project.

A need for graduate students to develop professional skills outside of their individual labs led to the development of the Professional Development Initiative (PDI). Within the first year of launch, I implemented 30 new professional development events, served over 1,800 attendees, coordinated and lead 11 graduate student senators, managed a $75k budget, and sat on both the PDI and GPSA Executive Boards.

Worked with a molecular geneticist and a wheat breeder to find an applied solution to PHS susceptibility through mutation genetics and field trials. This basic/applied hybrid research experience resulted in learning how to balance an attention-to-detail molecular approach while keeping the large-scale agronomic breeding scope in mind.