Experience

Soybean Innovation Lab

• United States
• International Trade and Development
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Research Specialist/ Program Manager

  • Jul 2022 - Present

  In my work at SIL I utilize a demand-driven, product-focused mode of research that relies on sustained communication with partner organizations to understand evolving client needs and deliver actionable growing recommendations with the goal of establishing real, sustainable, agronomic impact through scaled soybean production. My current research primarily involves the agro-economic analysis of various soybean growing practices and input combinations to generate the highest yielding, most cost-effective soybean solution for specific growing partners. I manage over 100 technical trials with a network of 34 public and private sector partners spanning 13 countries. Show less

• SMART Farm Project Manager

  • Oct 2019 - Jul 2022



Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

• United States
• Research Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Project Manager/ Research Specialist

  • Nov 2017 - Oct 2019

  • Managed budget for a 4 million dollar Department of Energy project to improve plant drought tolerance. • Coordinated the timely completion of project milestones among 30 individuals, spanning 5 States. • Executed greenhouse and field drought tolerance trials in sorghum to evaluate superior plant-lines. • Measured sorghum water use-efficiency and leaf gas exchange using the Licor photosynthesis platform. • Authored comprehensive quarterly reports to DOE funding sources outlining project progress. • Experienced working with regulated plant material and complying with strict USDA guidelines. • Presented at events ranging from stakeholder summits to community outreach and education programs. Show less



University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Graduate Research Associate

  • May 2013 - May 2017

  • Attained four years of project funding through a Monsanto Graduate Research Fellowship.• Managed a three year soybean phenotyping project measuring crop developmental traits.• Scheduled work flow for 2-4 technicians to ensure proper data collection and plant health.• Developed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to discover new heat stress genes in soybean.• Guided general lab upkeep, including sample inventory, and ensuring a clean, safe lab environment.• Accumulated extensive experience using lab equipment and executing molecular biology protocols. • Conducted genotyping-by-sequencing and DNA library preparation for Illumina NGS platforms.• Constructed scripts using R, SAS, and Microsoft packages for the statistical analysis of large data sets. • Presented research findings at 6 conferences around the United States. Show less

• Graduate Teaching Assistant

  • Aug 2012 - May 2017

  The Global Food Production Web (January 2017 – May 2017) Plant Genetics (January 2013 – May 2013) Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics (August 2012 – December 2013)• Developed engaging lessons to communicate complex ideas to an audience of 150-200 students. • Assessed student progress and understanding of topic material using quizzes and exams.• Recognized as being in the top 10 percent of university instructors based on student reviews.

• Graduate Research Associate

  • Aug 2011 - May 2013

  • Received the College of ACES 2014 Funk Award for displaying research excellence during my M.S. • Executed data analysis of soybean QTL mapping field-study of yield and flowering traits.• Employed reverse genetic approaches to characterize novel genes in Arabidopsis flowering pathway.• Maintained hundreds of Arabidopsis and tobacco plants under controlled environmental conditions.• Used RNAi and over-expression constructs to genetically engineer Arabidopsis and tobacco plants.• Assembled over 100 custom DNA-plasmid constructs for plant, bacteria and yeast expression. Show less