Research Team

 
 
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Eric Votava, PH.D.

General Manager of R&D Division

phone - (512) 439-9451
email - evotava@sesaco.com

Joined Sesaco in 2013. Background in vegetable breeding - specifically peppers and lettuce. Worked with Syngenta, Pybas Vegetable Seed, Johnnys Selected Seeds, and De Ruiter Seeds. Received a Ph.D. in Agronomy, Plant Genetics and Breeding from New Mexico State University.

 

Gerald De la fuente, PH.D.

Sesame Breeder

phone - ‭(512) 806-4548
email - gdelafuente@sesaco.com

Joined Sesaco in 2015. Background in corn genetics. Iowa State University, Ph.D., Plant Breeding. Texas A&M, Master of Science (MS), Plant Breeding. Texas A&M, Bachelor of Science, Plant and Environmental Soil Science.

Travis Rooney, ph.d.

Sesame Breeder & Bioinformatician

phone - (512) 839-5578
email - trooney@sesaco.com

Joined Sesaco in 2022. Before joining Sesaco he completed a masters and Ph.D. from Cornell University in Plant Breeding and Genetics working with malting barley. Also completed a bachelors of science at Texas A&M University in Biological and Agricultural engineering with a minor in Chemistry. He and his wife have three children.