Meet Kelsey, a Plant Pathologist who is a passionate about the part she plays in producing healthy food. At one time, Kelsey considered herself to be a Monsanto skeptic. We sat down with her to discuss her passion for modern agriculture and how she came to work at Monsanto.

How do your personal beliefs on food and nutrition affect your work on the job?
I am a plant-based eater, yogi, marathoner, triathlete, and chronic adventure-seeker. Every day I get to bring all of that to work with me! Healthy food and agricultural production are my passions in life, so my beliefs flow quite naturally into my profession where I help ensure that the plants that Monsanto breeds remain healthy in the field.
What are your goals in life and in your work at Monsanto?
Call me a romantic or a hopeless optimist, but my main goal in life is to make a contribution to ensuring that there is enough food in this world to sustain our society. I took this job a year and a half ago with a great deal of uncertainty, but at the time I could not think of a better way to foster a deeper understanding of food production. This was the greatest decision that I have ever made. I get to sit at the table with some of the brightest, most engaged scientists that I have met who also share the same passions in modern agriculture.
Why do you think your work is important?
When a disease strikes a grower’s field, the outcome can be devastating (both emotionally and financially). In my role as a plant pathologist, I help provide growers with the tools they need to grow healthy crops. I also run a diagnostic clinic for soybeans, so if a plant does ‘catch a cold’, we can help growers understand exactly what happened. This aspect of my job really makes me feel deeply connected to what’s going on in the field.
What is the biggest misconception about Monsanto?
Well, there are many. But most importantly, it’s the belief that Monsanto researchers are not members of society who are fundamentally motivated to ensure that there is a sustainable way to produce enough food for the world’s growing population.
How do you define success?
Success is embedded in the process of living a joyful, deeply meaningful, inspiring, and productive life.
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