From the deck of his Florida fishing boat, Donn Cummings enjoys well-deserved retirement after a long career. He served the U.S. and global seed industry for more than four decades.
He was a corn breeder for thirty years and served as global breeder sourcing lead for Monsanto. For Cummings, his time as global breeder sourcing lead was special to him because it gave him the chance to impact young people as they launch careers.
“I worked a lot with the land grant universities and mentored a lot of students in that role,” Cummings says. “In that role I got to help many of them establish careers in industry and academia and still enjoy many of those relationships today.”
His passion for helping students succeed moves beyond just his career though. He founded the National Association of Plant Breeders Borlaug Scholar program. This program sends future leaders to NAPB’s Annual Meeting, pairs them with mentors and financial support.
Learn more about Cumming’s career and passion for seed breeding here:
Watch more Giant Views here:
