My name is Annu Kumari, and I am a Ph.D. student in the Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences Department at Auburn University. I am expected to graduate in May 2024. My research primarily investigates the influence of cover crop cereal rye on the seed germination of problematic weed species in the southeastern region of the United States. Apart from my academic pursuits, I enjoy horse riding and traveling as hobbies. I believe that working in the seed industry presents an excellent opportunity to contribute towards global food security and the environment. Moreover, the seed industry offers diverse career paths, including research and development, quality assurance, sales and marketing, and regulatory affairs, providing a broad range of opportunities for personal and professional growth. Therefore, I aspire to pursue a career in the seed industry.

Hi, all! My name is Audrey Morrison, and I am a second year PhD student at the University of Wisconsin- Madison in the Plant Breeding & Plant Genetics program. My anticipated graduation date is May of 2026. My research objectives include identifying QTL conferring disease resistance to Bacterial Leaf Spot in table beet and Swiss chard. I am screening a Beta vulgaris diversity panel for use in a GWAS and am developing mapping populations in beet and chard for further fine mapping. During my undergraduate years, I had a handful of industry internships and loved my experiences! I appreciated the collaborative nature of the industry, and how there are many different players (R&D, seed production, processing, etc.) who impact each step of the production and distribution chain. The seed industry constantly has a vision of the future of agriculture, all while working in the present to improve today; this has inspired me to pursue a career in the seed industry. When not in the field/greenhouse/lab/office, I enjoy playing and watching sports, camping, or going home to help with chores on the farm.

Dongxu Chen is a Ph.D. candidate majoring in Entomology at the University of Maryland. He will graduate in May 2024. His research focuses on the molecular and genetic aspects of insecticide resistance, and his Ph.D. project aims to characterize the genetic basis of imidacloprid resistance in the Colorado potato beetle (CPB).  Throughout his research, he found the great potential of frontier technologies, for example, gene editing, in providing crops with insect-resistance traits. Then he realized his genetic and entomological knowledge could help the pipeline development. He looks forward to learning more about the seed industry and discovering future opportunities through the ASTA Student Connections program.

My name is Lenin Rodriguez, and I'm originally from Honduras. I'm pursuing a Ph.D. in plant breeding at The Ohio State University, and I plan to finish my degree in May 2024. My research focuses on reducing the damage caused by Fusarium Head blight (FHB), a major wheat disease that decreases yield and produces toxic mycotoxins. I aim to develop new strategies to understand how this fungus accumulates mycotoxins in the grain using molecular techniques. I'm also creating a genomic model to predict the performance of wheat lines from the US great plains in regions with high disease pressure. As someone who grew up in a developing country and has been involved in agriculture from a young age, I'm deeply passionate about helping farmers improve their livelihoods. I'm interested in international research that supports developing countries. My hobbies include traveling, history, and maps. I believe that my love for agriculture, scientific curiosity, and entrepreneurial spirit have motivated me to be a part of the seed industry.

My name is Thi Nguyen. I am a second-year Ph.D. student in Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics at University of Madison, Wisconsin. My research project is focusing on studying genetic basis and dissecting genetic architecture of fruit flavor-related traits in cucumber, including taste, aroma and fruit texture. I love traveling as much as I want to experience and learn from people from different cultures and backgrounds. I had chances to visit many farms and worked for a family-owned seed business in Malaysia during my college years. I learned the impact of the seed industry on the global economy and my determination to work in this industry started to grow from there. Before going back to graduate school, I had three years of working experience in the seed industry. Gratefully, I had wonderful mentorships, and I was fascinated by the advanced technologies being applied in this field. Thoughts of contributing more to this segment urged me to go back to grad school and get well-rounded knowledge in plant breeding and plant genetics.

My name is Maria Leticia Pacheco da Silva, and I am originally from Brazil. I am currently working towards a Ph.D. degree in Grain Crops at Auburn University under Dr. Eros Francisco (Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science). My research project is focused on studying the impact of soybean seed quality on plant distribution, plant growth, and grain yield in Alabama. The overall goal of this project is to understand the impact of seed vigor on plant development. My anticipated graduation date is in July 2025. I have always been fascinated by seeds because they are the foundation of agriculture, the point at which all other agricultural inputs are built. The seed industry has a significant impact on the future of agriculture, food security, and the environment. I want to be part of the seed industry to help develop high-quality seeds while promoting sustainable agricultural practices. That is what inspired me, to be part of an industry that helps to ensure enough food to feed the world while simultaneously protecting the planet for future generations.