David Uhr
Dow AgroSciences
Mount Vernon, IN USA
"No matter what perspective you come from, it’s amazing to see the natural world as it is and yet find ways to improve on it, to create something new."
Career Roadmap
David's work combines: Environment & Nature, Science, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Get out there and get involved. To succeed, you need a solid support structure. Join a club, find a mentor, network, and find the people doing what you are doing.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Agronomy and Crop Science
Iowa State University
Doctorate
Agronomy and Crop Science
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Grew up in a small town in northern Florida.
2.
His father was a forester and they would spend a lot of time in the woods where he would teach him about trees and plants.
3.
When he was young, his grandfather helped him plant a small garden on his farm—says this is what sparked his early interest in agriculture.
4.
Once in high school, he began expanding the garden and producing enough food from it to use on a regular basis.
5.
In college, he decided to pursue agronomy, the science of soil management and crop production—says, “If I was going to spend my life doing something, I would rather be feeding the world”.
6.
After graduate school, he moved to Kentucky and opened a research facility studying corn hybrids.
7.
When that facility closed, he got a job doing research on corn breeding in Indiana and has been there ever since—he is now one of the leading corn breeders for Dow AgroSciences.
8.
Says to succeed in this kind of farming, you have to be a really good business person and have a thorough understanding of how to grow crops.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
If we had a cutback today, you would be cut.
How I responded:
After my boss told me that he thought I was underperforming, I had to seriously consider what that meant for me. I realized I appreciated his honesty and bringing it to my attention. I started to work twice as hard and make the changes he thought I should make. I made a commitment not to give up on myself.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I am a man of faith and being in a scientific profession has had its obstacles. My faith is what gives me a purpose and focus in my profession.