NE Wisconsin News

Member Spotlight: Joann Whalen, Professor and ASA President

What project are you currently working on that excites you the most?

Farming for Africa is my current exciting project. Today, African farmers are only reaching about 40% of their potential, and it has the youngest, fastest-growing population in the world. Education and outreach are our best tools to propel agriculture forward, so African countries may provide safe, nutritious, and sustainable foods to their citizens. It is an enormous challenge. What inspires me is the capacity I see in so many bright, energetic young agronomists in Africa. Their motivation and entrepreneurship will be key catalysts to develop practical, workable agronomic solutions for African communities. A big thank you to my hosts at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco for their great support on this project during my sabbatical leave from McGill University (Canada).

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve received?

Early in my career, I worried that my research output would be slow due to a lack of a particular equipment in my laboratory. My good scientific friend, Professor Luis Sampedro, reminded me that the brain is our best research tool. Outstanding advice! This helped me prioritize thinking about scientific problems and their solutions, rather than focus on making lots of measurements.

Do you have a mentor that has helped you in your professional career? How have they helped you?

So many mentors have helped my professional career! These include family, friends, teachers, coaches, supervisors, and colleagues that I’ve interacted with regularly. I’ve also learned a lot from anonymous reviewers, who taught me key lessons about science at important times in my career. I am grateful to all of you! If you are starting your professional career, try to be receptive and listen to what people want to tell you. You won’t agree with all that you hear, but there will be nuggets of golden knowledge that contribute to your success.  

As a woman, what is a challenge/obstacle you have faced in your career?

A early challenge was to realize that a career is a marathon, not a sprint, and to be patient! We can’t expect to plant a seed and harvest the grain in the next day. Good ideas take time to mature. Plan and prepare early, and keep working on your projects regularly to achieve your career goals.

What does Women’s History Month mean to you? How does it fall into the context of your industry?

Women’s History Month is a great occasion to acknowledge women’s contributions, from time immemorial. In the context of my industry: Agriculture employs the majority of economically active women in the least-developed countries, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. Also, women are active at every level of the agricultural sector in developed countries. About 30% of the farmers in Canada and the United States are women. However, women often face economic barriers, which prevents them from owning land or getting credit. Without adequate funds for their operating expenses and capital investments, female farmers are less likely than men to buy and use drought-resistant seeds, inoculants, and fertilizers. They may not invest in water-conserving irrigation equipment and other advanced farming tools that are proven to increase crop yields. For these reasons, the World Bank and many other international groups are prioritizing gender equity in agriculture, making a direct effort to expand women’s access to land and rural finance, as these are essential to increase global food security.

Original source can be found here.