On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, the Career Connections Center hosted a virtual workshop for students to learn about different career paths related to plant science. During the workshop, which was moderated by C3 Career Coaches Gabby Diaz-Portalatin and Jillian Prescott, students had the chance learn about what a typical day looks like for each of the panelists, what skills and knowledge has been most helpful to them throughout the career, current industry trends and advancements, as well as advice for getting started in a plant science career.
CLICK HERE to access the workshop recording and transcript
Panelists Bios:
Alyssa Cho is the head of Grower Success Sustainable Agriculture for Bayer’s Ecosystem Services Business. Alyssa leads the development and implementation of grower programs to support farmers in adopting regenerative agricultural practices. Alyssa has been with Bayer since September 2021. Prior to Bayer, Alyssa was the Agronomy Lead for a start-up in St. Louis and a professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa with research, extension and teaching responsibilities in sustainable cropping systems. She has a Ph.D. in Agronomy and a M.S. in Horticultural Sciences from University of Florida, and a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Management from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Alex Garcia was born and raised in Southwest Florida, where she spent her childhood enjoying tropical fruit from her grandparents’ garden and exploring the Gulf of Mexico by land and sea. She has a bachelor’s degree in plant science and a master’s degree in horticultural science from the University of Florida. Throughout her studies, Alex specialized in blueberry breeding, tissue culture, and genetics. She now resides in sunny Santa Cruz, California, where she is a Tissue Culture Lab Research Associate at Driscoll’s. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry, spending time with her two cats, and immersing herself in the coastal terrain of Central California.
Richard M. Smith is a public garden leader with expertise in planning and implementing horticulture programs, focusing on experiential learning, strategic planning, and resource mobilization. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Florida studying Plant Science, Environmental Horticulture, Nursery and Greenhouse Management, and Specialty Crop Production. Richard has received the Duke Energy and Lockheed Martin STEM Partnership Impact Grants for his work in experiential education. He directs the School of Professional Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, advancing hands-on learning and fostering leadership in the green industry.
Here are additional resources mentioned during the workshop that you might find useful:
- https://www.bgci.org/ – botanic Gardens Conservation International
- https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/ – IFAS Extension
- https://plantscience.ifas.ufl.edu/ – Plant Science Major and Minor
Career Connection Center Resources:
