9th Annual
Carinata Biomaterials summit

De Broughton provides extension and education for North Florida farmers focusing on the agronomic crops of peanut, corn, soybean, small grains and industrial hemp. Many of these efforts revolve around water quality improvements and are in collaboration with agency partners such as the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Suwannee River Water Management District.Using on farm demonstrations and research plots, De conducts variety trials, surveys farms for disease and insect problems, and helps provide science-based solutions to merging challenges.  With increased scrutiny on agricultural water use and quality, De is exploring and sharing new technologies such as controlled release fertilizer technologies and soil moisture sensing to help farmers implement these BMPs.

Rick joined Nuseed in 2019 as part of the Nuseed acquisition of the Carinata program. He has led the Carinata breeding team since 2012, where he was hired to help establish an R&D program based out of Saskatoon, SK, Canada. As interest in the crop and potential for commercial production expanded to multiple territories worldwide, he has helped establish strong partnerships and testing programs to develop improved varieties and determine best management practices for the crop in a number of geographies worldwide. Current responsibilities include travel to and coordination with key partners in priority geographies, overseeing product development activities, and helping roll out new variety releases and best management practices in each growing region. Rick holds a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding from the University of Alberta canola breeding program, where he gained a strong background in Brassica species and current breeding methodologies.

Ramdeo Seepaul is a Research Assistant Scientist at the University of Florida’s North Florida Research and Education Center. After completing a PhD in Agronomy at Mississippi State University, he joined UF NFREC as a postdoctoral associate working on a state-funded bioenergy grant funded. Working with carinata since 2014, Dr. Seepaul (Andy) has developed, monitored, and evaluated research in Brassica carinata production agronomy and abiotic stress physiology. He worked on crop improvement and developing best management practices using field and greenhouse studies augmented by physiological and biochemical tools and techniques. He co-leads the SPARC feedstock development team, one of the largest teams in SPARC. He efficiently steers the large and diverse group through project design, implementation, data collection, and reporting. Seepaul was born and raised in Bath Settlement, Guyana, in a farming community engaged in cash crop farming. He is a dedicated Toastmaster, avid forager, adventurous outdoorsman, amateur photographer, happy gardener, and a wannabe foodie.

Kristen Traugh is a row crop farmer in Southwest Georgia, where she grows cotton, corn, and peanuts. She is a first-generation farmer always interested in embracing an opportunity to innovate with farming, whether trying out different crops or using different methods.

Robert Gilbert is the UF/IFAS Dean for Research and Director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of UF/IFAS. He became dean in January 2019 and is responsible for overseeing the research mission and administration. His office manages more than $9 million in internal resources and > $150 million in grants that are used to strengthen the capacity and innovation of UF/IFAS research.
Dr. Gilbert holds a B.A. in biology from Carleton College, an M.S. in agronomy from the University of Florida, and a Ph.D. in soil science from Texas A&M University. After completing a postdoctoral research fellowship with The Rockefeller Foundation in Malawi, he joined the agronomy faculty at the UF/IFAS Everglades Research and Education Center in Belle Glade, FL in 2000. He then became the Center Director until 2014 when he was appointed as the Agronomy Department Chair on UF’s main campus.
He is extremely supportive of international research collaborations and the depth and breadth they bring to faculty programs but realizes that these collaborations often have logistical challenges. He oversees the UF/IFAS International Support Team, an office conceived in September 2018 and housed within the research suite in McCarty Hall D.
His past research experience has focused on breeding sugarcane varieties and working with stakeholders to improve one of South Florida’s signature crops. He has co-authored 88 refereed journal publications, developed 33 sugarcane cultivars, and presented at 17 international meetings.
In service to the profession, he has functioned in numerous roles within the International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists and the Florida division of the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists. He has been honored with a USDA/ARS Sustained Effort Technology Transfer Award, a UF/IFAS International Achievement Award, and several Denver T. Loupe Best Presentation Awards from the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists.
His administrative philosophy has always been to hire the best faculty and staff possible and then facilitate their success by providing straightforward annual metrics, devoting resources to promising initiatives, and supporting training and mentorship opportunities.