Ron DePauw is Science advisor to SeCan, a National Seed Association in Canada. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Botany from St. Louis University in Missouri (USA), and M.SC. (Breeding and Statistics) and Ph.D. (Genetics and Pathology) degrees from the University of Manitoba (Canada). Ron spent a career working to provide improved spring wheat cultivars for the Canadian industry, focusing on improved grain yield and agronomic adaptation, stable resistance to multiple pathogens and insects, and high levels of functional end-use properties. He is passionate about accelerating adoption of genetic gains in farmer fields and especially committed to developing effective and practical teaching, training, and mentorship programs.