I am originally from England. I obtained my BSc in Biology from the University of Nottingham. I then studied for my MSc in Botany and Plant Pathology from Oregon State University. I have worked for the Oregon Department of Agriculture as a natural resource specialist, I have been a lab manager and research manager at Plant Sciences in the strawberry industry in Watsonville for 8 years and most recently I was the Manager of R&D Operations at Syngenta Flowers in Gilroy. I am teaching soil science in the spring and integrated pest management in the fall for the Horticulture department.