Ag Industry Conference Offers a Bridge from Studies to Leadership

As a third-year doctoral student, Oluwatosin Adebanjo is starting to think about his next step: How can he develop himself as a leader in his field, as he prepares to enter the job market after graduation?

Adebanjo got some clarity on his pathway after winning a Gold Scholarship to attend the recent MANRRS 40th Annual Training Conference and Career Expo in Dallas, Texas. The gathering was a resource event where students and professionals met with people from top companies, government agencies and nonprofits. The organization seeks to develop the next generation of leaders who will drive change in agriculture, STEM, natural resources and related industries.

Adebanjo is a member of the UC Davis MANRRS chapter; the group’s faculty advisor is Diane Beckles, a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences. He studies with Dan Potter, a professor and department chair, and Charlie Brummer, also a professor in the department.

The MANRRS conference, Adebanjo said, was “an opportunity to connect with people in industry so you know what they do, what they like about their role, how they got the position.”

Human resource representatives from participating companies organized mock interviews, looked over his resume and offered suggestions for improvement as he prepares to apply for summer internships.

For his research, Adebanjo uses the frameworks of both his mentors – understanding how plants have evolved over time plus how genetic variation changes within and between plant populations. His focus is the group Medicago, which includes alfalfa and its relatives. By studying the evolutionary relationship among plant species in this group, he hopes to find clues for improving crops and to make that information available to breeders. “If we know the exact evolutionary relationship between species, then we know which ones to cross,” he said.

As a part of this work, Adebanjo also is studying the genetic diversity of an alfalfa relative called black medic, or Medicago lupulina. The plant is good at adapting to different climates. For this study, he’s using seed material that has been collected from all over the world and is stored in seed banks by the United States Department of Agriculture.

“Black medic has been introduced into more than 60 countries," Adebanjo explained. “It can potentially serve as an alternative to alfalfa because of its adaption to varying climatic conditions.”

As he grows into both future research and employment opportunities, Adebanjo said, the recent conference supported him by offering “holistic access to resources to become a leader in the ag sector.”