As we celebrate Women’s History Month this March, we reflect on how women’s roles in agriculture have changed. While once women mostly just worked hard planting seed and harvesting crops, their role has evolved to also helping shape innovation and resilience in agriculture today. This feature spotlights just a handful of women faculty members in the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources and its and units working in plant-focused disciplines. It provides a glimpse into their leadership and expertise cultivating the future of agriculture by driving cutting-edge research, mentoring the next generation of plant scientists, and supporting agricultural communities across Nevada and beyond.
Melinda Yerka
Assistant Professor Department of Agriculture, Veterinary & Rangeland Sciences;
Yerka and her research team have unveiled 200 sorghum varieties that could be a gamechanger in the food, brewery, dairy feed and biofuel industry. Preliminary research underscores their exceptional drought tolerance, with some varieties also exhibiting record levels of protein and digestible starch.
Q: Did you have a mentor or role model who influenced your path into agricultural science?
A: “My mom. She wanted nothing more than to work in agriculture and developing crops, but everyone told her she couldn't do that. For her to see me succeed has been really meaningful, and she helps me with my breeding program sometimes. I was co-advised with Natalia de Leon. She not only introduced me to corn breeding, but she also told me 'If you think grad school is hard, just wait until you're an assistant professor.' I remember seeing how hard she worked. I can't think of any better preparation, because I knew from the beginning that this would not be easy. It's going to take everything you've got, it's going to be really hard, but if you can handle it, the opportunity is really profound.”
Q: How do students factor into your research, and what do you hope they gain from working alongside you?
A: “You can’t do research as a professor without students. You need to develop your relationship with them, and train them to not only do the work, but how to lead the work. They need to know why we’re doing it, and that takes a lot of time and patience. I work with them, meet them where they are starting out, and then get them to the level of graduate school.”
Q: What advice would you give to women considering a career in agriculture or going into the agricultural sciences, such as being a researcher?
A: “It's important to choose the right lab to go into. Start off in a course that you like. And if you really like the types of research that the professor is doing, just ask them if they have openings in their lab.”
Most Tahera Naznin
Associate Professor Department of Agriculture, Veterinary & Rangeland Sciences; and
Naznin studies ways to grow food year-round using an outdoor growing system and controlled-environment systems such as greenhouses, indoor hydroponic vertical farms, shipping container farms and high tunnels. By looking at factors such as growing conditions, irrigation and plant nutrition, she helps farmers produce more food and strengthen local food security.
Q: Did you have a mentor or role model who influenced your path into agricultural science?
A: “Yes, I have several. First, my father was a mentor because he was a teacher. He taught me integrity, discipline and the importance of education. My Ph.D. supervisor in Japan pushed me to think deeply and rigorously about plant science and space farming. My postdoctoral advisor, Professor Mark Lefsrud, had a strong influence on my research direction by introducing me to advanced indoor farming systems. He showed me how technological innovations can fundamentally transform modern agriculture, particularly in controlled environments and indoor vertical farming systems.”
Q: What challenges did you face as a woman working in agricultural science?
A: “In Bangladesh, many people are thinking agriculture is just growing plants, nothing else. They expect if you’re a smart young woman, you should go into medicine. So, choosing this path was not traditional, but allowed me to show that women can lead and how advanced technical science can help shape the future of food.”
Q: What advice would you give to women considering a career in agriculture or going into the agricultural sciences, such as being a researcher?
A: “Agriculture today is not just growing plants. It is science, technology and innovation. So, if you are curious and passionate about solving real-world problems, you belong in this field. We need more women leading the future of food and sustainability. The future of food will be smarter, more resilient and more inclusive. And women will be the leading that transformation, it is my belief.”
Patricia Ferreira dos Santos
Assistant Professor Department of Agriculture, Veterinary & Rangeland Sciences; and
Santos studies how plants naturally defend themselves against disease. Her research focuses on natural plant compounds and how they help crops fight harmful fungi. By studying how plants and microbes interact, Santos aims to better understand these natural defense systems and help develop crops that are more resilient to disease.
Q: Did you have a mentor or role model who influenced your path into agricultural science?
A: “Most of my mentors were successful women in science, with a few exceptions. My uncle, who was a professor, and his long-term collaborator, Professor Manuela Chaves, influenced me a lot. They gave me the opportunity to do my undergraduate research, and I started being exposed to crops right away. After that, I did a Ph.D. and postdoc, and I had two very important women in my life — my supervisor, Dr. Ana Ribeiro, and then, later, when I moved to my first postdoc, another female mentor, Dr. Katharina Pawlowski. I was Dr. Ribeiro's first Ph.D. student, and she had been the first Ph.D. student of Dr. Pawlowski. We used to joke that Dr. Pawlowski was my scientific grandmother.”
Q: How do students factor into your research, and what do you hope they gain from working alongside you?
A: “I always love teaching students techniques in the lab and making them think critically, which is very important. Another thing that is really important is teaching them to be resilient, because research can be very frustrating. It's necessary for doing good research. You will fail many times, and you have to not despair, get back there and do it again.”
Q: What advice would you give to women considering a career in agriculture or going into the agricultural sciences, such as being a researcher?
A: “Never accept a 'no.' This is not only for women, but for everybody. Just try. Surround yourself with good mentors — not only one mentor, but pick different mentors. Ask for advice, work hard, work smart and work honestly.”
Jill Moe
Director,
Moe supports small farm resilience and healthy food systems, while leading a regional training farm and nursery, farmer-focused programs and hands-on learning opportunities for students.
Q: Did you have a mentor or role model who influenced your path into agriculture?
A: “I have several role models. My first was my mom, an avid gardener. She introduced me to the idea that food choices have a meaningful impact. I was also inspired by subsistence millet and peanut farmers that I worked with in Ghana as a U.S. Peace Corps agroforestry volunteer, and by Rachel Carson's groundbreaking environmental research. Here at the University, I have been very grateful for ongoing collaboration with and guidance from Dr. Felipe Barrios Masias and the amazing Kelli Kelly with the Small Business Development Center.”
Q: How do students factor into your program, and what do you hope they gain from working with you?
A: “I hope DFI students – academic interns and members of the farm crew – gain practical farming and research skills that help lead to successful, impactful careers in sustainable agriculture. We need more farmers! I hope in particular that opportunities for Indigenous students at DFI will advance food sovereignty in Tribal communities.”
Q: What advice would you give to women considering a career in agriculture?
A: “I have been struck by the proportion of young women and nonbinary people who engage at DFI compared to others. They make up the majority of students working with us. I see them making a real difference in research quality, food security programming and agricultural communications. One student worked with us during their entire tenure at the University and contributed to the production of over 90,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables. I hope to see more women pursuing ag careers. They provide such tangible and fulfilling returns. The advancement of this field is critical at this moment in human history.”
Anna Moss
Plant science undergraduate student, Department of Agriculture, Veterinary & Rangeland Sciences
Moss is a senior who is actively involved in student leadership and mentoring and is preparing to pursue a master’s degree in plant breeding and genetics.
Q: What inspired you to pursue your undergraduate degree in agricultural science with an emphasis on plants?
A: “In high school, I did FFA and I was in a greenhouse class. I just loved being with the plants and growing everything. So, that’s what led me that way.”
Q: Have there been women professors, mentors or industry leaders who influenced or encouraged your path?
A: “A majority of my advisors have been women. I can really relate to them more, especially because they paved the way for a lot of women going into ag industries. My high school advisors were women and my current advisor, Dr. Yerka, they are the ones who really pushed me. I am looking into getting into a lab for grad school. It was almost a shock to me being surrounded by women in ag, and then going to the field and realizing I am seeing more and more women in ag.”
Q: What would you say to young women who are interested in agricultural science but aren’t sure they belong?
A: “If you're feeling you don’t belong because you're a woman or a young girl, I don’t think that it fits anymore. Primarily, I am seeing women in ag and leadership positions. There's absolutely no reason to ever think that because you're a girl or a woman that you don’t belong.”
