What I Do I lead a company dedicated to finding naturally occurring microorganisms that produce natural products to control pests in water, forests, agriculture and gardens as alternatives to toxic chemical pesticides.
Why Engineering? I always wanted to find natural ways to control pests and getting degrees in entomology was the best way to pursue my passion.
School Days I grew up in Killingworth, CT and went to school k-8 there, then to Mercy High School, then Cornell University for a BS and North Carolina State University for PhD.
My Day At Work Leading the team to meet our goals at finding and developing natural biological solutions to control pests. We have team meetings to discuss our progress. I also talk with investors to raise money for the company and to keep existing investors up to date with our progress. Sometimes I go out with the team to collect samples (soil, compost, plant parts, insects, shrimp etc) to find the microorganisms that live there to see if they produce natural products we could use for natural pest control.
Best Part Developing effective products from things we find in nature and seeing them used by farmers and home gardeners.
Proud Moments Listing Marrone Bio Innovations on the NASDAQ stock market so anyone could buy the stock.
My Family I grew us the middle child with 2 older sisters and 2 younger brothers in Killingworth CT on 40 beautiful woodsy acres with a 2 acre bass fishing and swimming pond. I have been married 46 years to Mick Rogers who I met when I was 17 years old at Cornell University.
Dreams and Goals My life's dream/goal is to find a safe, natural weed killer that works as well as chemical herbicides (weed killers).
Inspiration My mom and dad always supported by interest in nature and entomology and bought me books, wrote to experts, showed me magazines like Audubon.
Want to be an Engineer? There are many opportunities in a technical, science, STEM career. Don't be deterred by those who say you can't do it. Following a passion will go a long way.
Hobbies I like to run, swim and bike. I have two dogs and take them running each day. I love to garden and have flowers and some vegetables. I love to cook and try new recipes.