Meet the Next Generation of Plant Breeders
Each year, Seed World partners with the National Association for Plant Breeding (NAPB) to spotlight Borlaug Scholars and George Washington Carver Scholars- emerging scientists who represent the future of plant breeding and genetics. In these podcast interviews, you'll hear directly from scholars as they share their research, personal journeys, and passion for innovation in agriculture.
Explore their stories below.
George Washington Carver Scholar Interviews
- Amaka Ifeduba- Amaka Ifeduba is Bridging the Science Communication Gap
- Gurleen Kaur - Gurleen Kaur on Why the George Washington Carver Scholars Program is so Important
- Maria Roberta de Oliveira Knows the Challenges of Studying Abroad
Borlaug Scholar interviews
- 2025
- 2024
- 2023
- 2022
- Andrew Herr and Andrew Horgan - The 2 Andys Talks About the Value of the Borlaug Scholarship
- Anju Biswas - Anju Biswas Wants to Ensure Alfalfa can Grow in Florida
- Cassie Newman - Cassie Newman on Why There’s More to Peanuts Than You Think
- Edgar Sierra Orozco - Edgar Sierra Orozco Might Have Hit a Tomato Resistance Target Bullseye
- Emmanuel Gonzalez - How the Night Sky Helped Emmanuel Gonzalez Love Plant Breedin
- Liza Van der Laan - Can Weather Predict Soybean Traits? Liza Van der Laan Thinks So
- Luis Salazar - For Luis Salazar, a Love of Plant Breeding Began at Hobby Lobby
- Mary-Francis LaPorte - Mary-Francis LaPorte is all About the Data
- McKena Lipham - McKena Lipham Wants You to Know About Tef
- Mitchell Kent- Mitchell Kent Makes a Sorghum Discover
- Sarah Jones - How a Texas College Football Rivalry Made Sarah Jones Want to be a Plant Breeder
- Sam McDonald - The Bad Side of Growing up on a Farm Made Sam McDonald Want to be in Plant Science
- 2021
- Brianna Cheek - A Peaceful World Needs Full Stomachs: Q&A with Brianna Cheek
- Catherine Danmaigona Clement - Catherine Danmaigona Clement’s Love of Agriculture Runs in the Family
- Catherine Danmaigona Clement, Fabian Leon, and Jeewan Pandey - The Borlaug Scholarship Helped These 3 Become Better Plant Breeders
- Eric Luteyn - Eric Luteyn Wants You to Know About Teff
- Fabian Leon- Fabian Leon: Chicanx Identity and its Important Influence in Science and Ag
- Kim Gibson - Can Good Cooks Make Good Plant Breeders? Kim Gibson Says Yes
- Matthew Davis - Making Something Unknown Known: Q&A with Matthew Davis
- Nida Ghori - Nida Ghori on the Challenge of Breeding for Hessian Fly Resistance
- Renan Souza - Communicating Science in 2021: Q&A with Renan Souza
- Tanner Oyen - Working Side-By-Side: Q&A with Tanner Oyen
- Thilani Jayakody - How the Promise of Gene Editing Drew Thilani Jayakody into Potato Research
- Samantha Wegener - Keeping an Open Mind to New Experiences: Q&A with Samantha Wegener
- 2020
- Ammani Kyanam- How a Scholarship Transformed Ammani Kyanam’s Career
- Chandler Levinson - He Wrestled His Way Into History — She’s Helping Students Finish What He Started
- David Tork - Just the Flax: NAPB Borlaug Scholar David Tork
- Hallie Longest, Abelina Jackson, Cassie Winn, Kathryn Michel, Jenna Hershberger and Christina Finegan - Talking Next-Gen Corn Breeding with the NAPB 2020 Borlaug Scholars
- Natalie Kaiser - Propagating potato via True Seed: NAPB Borlaug scholar Natalie Kaiser
- William Singer and Clayton Carley - Talking So