Monsanto’s Fraley Stresses Need for Science Education

Communicating science and training next-generation STEM graduates are just as important as doing the science.

That was the message from Robert Fraley, chief technology officer at Monsanto, during a discussion April 27 at Texas Tech University.

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Fraley and a team of other Monsanto executives spent time with researchers and students to talk about the importance of science, communicating science and training the next generation workforce with science and technology education.

“Science is core for new technology,” stated Fraley. “It is insufficient if people do not understand.”

Fraley emphasized the need for multidisciplinary knowledge in the future R&D industry – not only geneticists, but also people who are trained in social sciences, statistics and data analytics.

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Quipping that he will be in his nineties in 2050 when the world is projected to have 10 billion people, he said, “Farming has to be smarter, better and different.”

Fraley’s group was one of the first teams in the world to successfully put a gene into a plant that resulted in technologies such as Bollgard and Roundup Ready, which enhanced the production and yield of cotton in the United States and other countries throughout the world.

Twenty-five percent of Monsanto’s R&D budget is set aside for collaborations involving start-ups, academia and small businesses.

 

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