John Bagwell

In his own words ...

Where are you from, and why did you choose to study at UGA/CAES?
I'm from Georgia. I chose to study at UGA CAES because I wanted to find a major where I felt my work could have a real-world impact. After my first internship with Dr. Jason Wallace, I became curious about plant breeding as a career.

What is your major/degree program, and what department?
I'm pursuing a PhD in Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics at the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics (IPBGG).

Why did you choose your major?
I chose this program because I felt it was the best way to obtain the skills to become a plant breeder.

What is your favorite class you have taken?
My favorite class is PBGG 6000 - Plant Breeding Practicum. I toured multiple plant breeding programs from different sectors and applied lessons from class by creating a popcorn breeding program.

Who has been your favorite instructor?
I would say Dr. Brian Schwartz from PBGG 6000. I appreciated that he took additional time to help us understand how to write the final project, and he helped us think of questions to ask plant breeders during class.

What has been the best experience you've had so far at CAES?
The best experience so far is when I got to run my first experiment during a Spring 2017 internship. I attempted to measure the effect of nitrogen stress on maize leaves, and that study made me more interested in learning other ways that I can participate in research.

What do you want to do with what you have learned here?
I would like to become a plant breeder to protect and improve food supplies around the world.

How has your experience at UGA changed you?
I understand a lot more about agriculture and genetics, and I feel more confident about reaching out to people, networking, and explaining my work to others.

Thinking of the word agriculture - what does agriculture mean to you? In what ways does agriculture impact your life and your culture?
Agriculture provides us with food and clothes. Anything that can help improve agriculture can help us all out. From sweet corn in the summer to dark roast coffee in the morning to my favorite apples, these foods and more have all been parts of different aspects of my life.

What do you like to do outside of class — hobbies, interests, secret talents?
I like walking, swing and ballroom dancing, music, watching YouTube, public speaking, and volleyball.