Research.
I have an applied plant breeding program with cotton and other oilseed crops. My approach towards improving germplasm includes interspecific hybridization and complex crosses of elite parents. I then screen and select from segregating populations for yield components, drought resistance, and fiber traits.
I am in the early stages of developing breeding programs for perennial oilseed crops such as Chinese tallow and jatropha. My goal is to develop these into adapted oilseed cultivars for bio-diesel production.
Teaching.
I teach AGRO 304 – ‘plant breeding and genetics’ during the spring semester. This class explores basic genetic principles of plants such as mitosis, meiosis, transcription and translation. The course also covers plant breeding practices such as biotechnology, phenotypic selection methods, and the seed industry in general.
In the summer, I teach a study abroad class focused on international agricultural research stations in Mexico. We visit with CIMMYT and INIFAP research scientists fighting the global war on hunger and poverty. Students get the chance to meet subsistence farmers trying to hold on to their heritage, and see the influence of agriculture upon Mesoamerican civilization.