A Note From the Director

As I put the 2023 report together, I am struck by the sheer number of activities that are going on in the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics, and which you will get to read about in this report! Be sure to check out the Institute’s video as well.

We now have 31 graduate faculty, as well as 14 adjunct faculty, which must make us one of the largest plant improvement programs in the country. The graduate faculty can all serve as major professors for graduate students, while the affiliate faculty lend their expertise by serving on student committees and lending facilities. Collectively, they allow us to offer a well-rounded program to our students. Case in point, our faculty are working on 22 crops or crop groups (e.g., turfgrasses or ornamentals). Few other programs can match this number.

The number of students has increased steadily since the Institute opened its doors in 2008. We finished 2023 with an all-time high graduate student number of 58, and we started 2024 with an even higher number – 62.   

I also want to welcome Stacey Gay on board as the new Administrative Manager. After many years of service and seeing the Institute through its growth spurt, the previous Administrative Manager, Deborah Franco, retired. Probably one of the most special moments at the retreat was when she was recognized for her dedication and years of service to the Institute. 

I leave you with a photo of the Institute’s membership, taken at the last retreat. 

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