Position Title
Project Scientist on Malting Barley and Oat Breeding
Ph.D. Crop Sciences Oregon State University 1999
M.S. Agronomy South Dakota State University 1994
As a breeder, my main duty is to improve germplasm and release new cultivars. I have released new varieties of oat, barley, sugarcane (USDA, FL), and wheat (Argentina). I have studied and published on mapping and genetics of disease resistance/tolerance (CYDV, stripe rust) and pre-harvest sprouting/dormancy in barley. I have also conducted research on wheat grain-yield components, genotype-environment interactions in sugarcane, avenin content in oats, and gene editing in barley.
For the last 14 years, since February 2012, I have been working as a barley and oat breeder at UC Davis, releasing three new varieties of malting barley (UC Tahoe, UC-Capay and UC-Alameda), and two new oat cultivars (UC-NorCal and UC-Ceres).