73. She Knows Cotton from Genes to Jeans
Jane Dever
As Jane Dever, Ph.D., approaches retirement, she’s back at the cotton project she started 32 years ago after college, still excited about helping west Texas farmers boost the quality of the fiber in their cotton crops, to be more competitive in the global market. She knows cotton from genes to jeans.
How Did You Start Using Your Talents?
As a budding textile engineering grad student, Jane helped a farmer-funded group –Plains Cotton Improvement Program—“set some pretty good objectives for deciding what types of fiber we should be developing.” Her career included agribusiness, academia, and a return to her roots, helping cotton farmers adopt organic practices.
The Most Impactful Turning Point?
After her years in the corporate sector, being a public breeder enabled Jane to focus on underserved stakeholders. This led to a project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through Catholic Relief Services in Burkina Faso, West Africa, where growers face the same issues as U.S. growers.
The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?
“Learn to accept circumstances, take advantage of opportunities that come your way, and be happy with them. Plans are important, but you should also build in some flexibility. Develop the ability to really love where you land and not dwell on what didn’t happen. It’s an important part of being happy.”
Top Tools on Her Browser
There are so many great resources out there. Everybody is really different. If you find an online source that works for you, for your product, your profession, you particular circumstances, just make sure that you use it judiciously and cautiously.
