My name is John “Jack” Forbes Harling Jr. and I am a PhD candidate at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL studying Interdisciplinary Ecology with a climate science concentration and I intend to graduate from this PhD program by August of 2026. Previously, I double majored with a BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Science and a BS in Bioenvironmental Science at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. I moved to Florida after I graduated from Texas A&M in 2019 and completed a MS in Agronomy at the University of Florida as well. My current graduate research is focused on cowpea development for future climates. This research involves crop modeling, genomic prediction, and the development of heat tolerant cowpea germplasm. I directed my attention towards agriculture, and thereby the seed industry, because I wanted to have a more direct impact on people’s everyday lives, and I wanted to help steward the land around us. Moreover, there are numerous challenges hindering a sustainable agricultural future that demand attention. The seed industry has the potential to be at the frontlines of this endeavor with better adapted seeds leading to optimal sustainable crop growth, and I want to help make that happen. My hobbies include exercise, camping, hiking, reading, games, and wildlife photography.