Seed Science & Technology
Meet Our Presenters
Martha Malapi
American Seed Trade Association (ASTA)
Director, Seed Health and Trade
Presentation: ASTA’s Phytosanitary Update: Insights into Current Seed Health Issues Affecting Trade
Martha Malapi
Dr. Martha Malapi is a plant pathologist by training and is the Director of Seed Health and Tarde at the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). In this role, she serves as the lead scientific and policy expert for ASTA’s nearly 700 members/companies on phytosanitary issues impacting the global movement of seed in a wide range of economically important species, including row crops, vegetables, flowers, forages, and grasses. Prior to joining ASTA, Martha worked for the USDA for ~10 years in a number of roles, including Branch Chief of USDA-APHIS Biotechnology Regulatory Services. In this role, she worked on assessing potential plant pest risk and environmental impacts of genetically engineered plant pathogens and microbes on the human environment. Before serving as Branch Chief, Martha was the Lead Plant Pathologist and Program Manager of APHIS-PPQ-Plant Germplasm Quarantine Program, where she implemented the genomics program for the identification of quarantine pathogens.
Martha completed her postdoctoral specialization at USDA-ARS, where she used different genomics and bioinformatics tools to study regulated and emergent pathogens. She holds an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Tennessee and Texas A&M University. Originally from Lima, Peru, Martha now calls Washington, D.C., home.
Kris is presenting on Wednesday, April 03 at 12:00 noon CSDT on ASTA’s Phytosanitary Update: Insights into Current Seed Health Issues Affecting Trade.
Kris Baldwin
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Presentation: Seeds of Innovation: Boosting Efficiency Ethically with Generative Artificial Intelligence
Kris Baldwin
Kristi Baldwin is a dynamic speaker known for her creative and engaging presence and insightful content. With a background in educational technology and innovation adoption, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her work as the Educational Technology Resources Specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. She has a doctor of education in administration and has worked as an instructional designer for a community college and an educational technology specialist for a regional non-profit focused on K-12 teaching and learning. Dr. Baldwin has been following the development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) since the release of Chat GPT in November 2022. Beyond the professional realm, she enjoys reading and eating pizza with her husband, two teenage sons, and their chocolate lab puppy.
Kris is presenting on Wednesday, April 17 at 12:00 noon CSDT on Seeds of Innovation: Boosting Efficiency Ethically with Generative Artificial Intelligence.
Aimee Hood
Bayer Crop Science
Regulatory and Scientific Engagement
Presentation: Enhancing Interpersonal Communication while Considering Style and Generation Differences
Aimee Hood
Aimee Hood is the Head of Regulatory and Scientific Engagement at Bayer Crop Science. Her team of scientists has responsibility for engaging with scientists and regulators about the safety and benefits of Bayer’s portfolio of products and empowering internal scientists to advocate for agriculture.
Based in St. Louis, MO, Aimee has been with Bayer for 27 years, with previous roles in Strategy and Operations, Quality Assurance and Manufacturing. Throughout her career she has worked to expand Bayer’s license of operate through stakeholder engagement, issues management, and proactive communication. She is currently the chair of ASTA’s communication committee and represents Bayer on BIO’s communication committee. She was named Bayer’s Working Mother of the Year in 2018. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Aimee resides in O’Fallon, Missouri with her husband Craig and two sons, Conner and Noah. She enjoys adventure travel with Craig and her boys, trying new recipes with produce from their garden, and sitting on a beach with a good book. She is proud to serve on the Operating Board of St. Dominic High School.
Aimee is presenting on Wednesday, April 10 at 12:00 noon CSDT on Enhancing Interpersonal Communication while Considering Style and Generation Differences
Dave Peters
Iowa State University
Professor and Extension Rural Sociologist
Agricultural and Rural Policy
Presentation: Rural Iowa’s Future Workforce: Opportunities and Challenges
Dave Peters
Dr. Peters has research, teaching, and extension appointments at Iowa State U. His primary research areas include demographic and socioeconomic change in rural communities, rural health, rural poverty and inequality, and rural crime. Dr. Peters has published in top-tier journals in rural sociology, agricultural economics, public health, and criminology. He has been awarded grants from the National Science Foundation (SCC, Sociology, NRT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (AFRI), and the National Institute of Justice.
Dr. Peters is faculty advisor for the Agricultural and Rural Policy Studies major. He is coordinator of the Iowa Small Towns Project, which surveys small towns across the state. He is also a research member of the ISU Center of Agricultural and Rural Development, and the ISU Crop Bioengineering Center.
Previously, he was an Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics at the U. of Nebraska. He has worked as a senior researcher for the Missouri Department of Economic Development; and the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) at the U. of Missouri. He holds a B.S. cum laude from the U. of Minnesota; and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the U. of Missouri.
Dave is presenting on Wednesday, April 24 at 12:00 noon CSDT on Rural Iowa’s Future Workforce: Opportunities and Challenges