A Note from the Director

This summer marks the 15-year anniversary for IPBGG.  After two years in the making, the Institute was launched in 2008. At the time, no one really knew if this interdepartmental experiment would work or last, but we were all hopeful and very excited.  Fast forward to the present, and CSA News listed us the 3rd largest breeding school in the country based on the number of graduates.

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Dr. Peggy Ozias-Akins, who stepped down from the directorship on 30 June of 2022 after 10 years at the helm.  Under her leadership, the IPBGG exceeded all expectations. Besides providing a focal point for faculty interested in crop improvement and genetics, it has been attracting top graduate students and has brought national recognition to UGA. As of this writing, we have 56 graduate students enrolled in the program.

As her successor, I am all too aware of the large shoes I have to fill, as well as of the challenges that lie ahead to ensure IPBGG continues to grow and remain relevant in an ever-changing world. At the same time, with all the new research tools available, there has never been a more exciting time to be in plant breeding and plant genetics. 

As I write this message, interviews are underway for a new vegetable breeder and for a breeder for Controlled Environment Agriculture. This latter position will be the first such position in the public sector in the USA, and represents a rapidly growing sector of agriculture. More will follow in the 2023 newsletter.

In this newsletter are some of the year’s highlights from 2022. Enjoy!

Wayne Parrott,
Director, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics