Bios

Kent J. Bradford received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biochemistry and Horticulture from Michigan State University and received his Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from UC Davis in 1981. Dr. Bradford is the founding Director of the Seed Biotechnology Center and is a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis. Dr. Bradford, as Academic Director of the SBC, oversees, promotes and conducts the outreach, education and research activities of the Center.

Susan C. DiTomaso received a B.S. degree in Agricultural Science from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, and an Agriculture Teaching Credential from the University of California, Davis. She is a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program. Ms. DiTomaso is the Manger of Outreach for the Department of Plant Science and the Center.  At the SBC she coordinates public relations and outreach activities, Center administration and assists in program development.

Rale Gjuric is also the President of HAPLOTECH Inc., a company specialized in technical services and consulting in plant breeding. Dr. Gjuric received his Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba, Canada; his M.Sc. from the University of Novi Sad, Serbia; and his B.Sc. from the University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Macedonia. Previously, he held the positions of Breeding Manager of DL Seeds; Research and Managing Director of DSV Canada; all in Winnipeg Canada. Dr. Gjuric is an accomplished plant breeder with over 35 canola varieties and hybrids released in the last 15 years. His current focus is in service to the plant breeding industry with special interest in organization and optimization of plant breeding programs.

Jeannette Martins, born in Germany, earned her degree in Agriculture and Education Sciences at the Humboldt University of Berlin in 1993. In Germany, she was a Member of the Berlin House of Representatives, Vice Chairwoman of the green party at the State Parliament of Berlin and Chairwoman of the Education, Youth and Sports Committee. In 2005 she moved with her family to California. In 2007 she interned at the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center. In September 2009 she became a program representative. She is responsible for organizing educational programs and courses and for developing outreach materials. She particularly enjoys working on science-based projects that focus on biotechnology for sustainability. 

Joy Patterson is the coordinator of the Plant Breeding Academy.  She comes to the Seed Biotechnology Center from the UC Davis Med Center where she was a resident coordinator for the otolaryngology department. She considers her students, as she did her medical residents, to be members of her extended family. Joy, her husband Dan, and their two children all attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. With her background in agriculture, the Master Gardener program, and event planning, Joy brings a unique perspective to the PBA program. Students come from both the United States and abroad with diverse cultural backgrounds. Joy helps them navigate through the requirements of the program as well as helping them get the most out of their visits to Davis.

Allen Van Deynze received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Plant Science from the University of Manitoba, Canada and his Ph.D. in plant molecular breeding from the University of Guelph, Canada. He did a postdoctorate in molecular genetics at Cornell University and worked with Monsanto and Celera. Dr. Van Deynze is responsible for developing, coordinating and conducting research and generating and disseminating scientific and informational content for the Center's educational and outreach programs.

Donna Van Dolah joined the SBC in April 2009 as Administrative Assistant. She brings a wealth of experience – she was program representative for University Extension at UC Davis and a senior sales executive for both a national healthcare company and a media company. She currently attends the Academy of Design and Technology where she is honing her extensive design and artistic skills. Focusing primarily on SBC's international client database, Donna works to maintain the integrity of the data and identify creative ways to support and enhance the outreach activities of the SBC.