Todd Pester '86 shares his life after UMC in his own words

"I wanted to get back to agriculture," says Todd Pester, Ph.D., Plant Ecologist in Biotechnology Regulatory Sciences, at Monsanto Company, when asked about why he does what he does.  Pester is a plant ecologist working with Monsanto Biotechnology Regulatory Sciences in St. Louis , Missouri.  He graduated from the University of Minnesota , Crookston (UMC) in 1986 with a two-year A.A.S. degree in agricultural business management. Following graduation, Pester worked for his family involved both with the farm operation and their trucking business.  After six years however, he decided to return to UMC to continue his education.  At that time UMC had not yet developed any bachelor's degree programs.  But Pester knew that he wanted to pursue his doctorate, so after a third year at UMC he then transferred to the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota, where he completed his bachelor's degree and went on to earn his master's degree in weed science.

After that he immediately entered the doctoral program at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where he completed his Ph.D. in Weed Ecology in December of 2000 and went to work for Monsanto.  He is currently responsible for generating plant ecological assessment data that is reviewed by worldwide regulatory agencies such as the USDA.  He says his degree led him directly into what he is doing now, and he enjoys it.

Pester's wife, Dawn Wyse-Pester, Ph.D., also works for Monsanto as a project manager in the company's lawn and garden business.  She manages research to commercialize Monsanto's lawn and garden products.  They met during their undergraduate studies in St. Paul.  Wyse-Pester was a Plant Science major and her father, Donald Wyse, is a professor in agronomy and plant genetics on the St. Paul campus.

A Personal Touch

"The coursework, activities, and relationships I experienced at UMC prepared me for my transition to the St. Paul campus, and they provided a solid foundation to begin a career in agriculture," says Pester.  "I knew I wanted to be involved with producing food and agricultural products, but I had a limited view of the possibilities.  The faculty at UMC helped me develop my vision, identify my potential, and begin discovering the possibilities."  According to Pester, those most influential to his positive experience at UMC included Professors Marv Mattson, Chuck Habstritt, and the late Don Keith-all in UMC's Agronomy Department-and Chemistry Professor Paul Holm.

"It's important for people to set goals for themselves and to strive to achieve them," says Pester.  With the assistance he received from the faculty and staff at UMC, he was able to develop the vision for his future.  "I knew I wanted to pursue my Ph.D. and they (Mattson, Habstritt, and Keith) helped me and encouraged me to continue my path.  I was able to get the basic knowledge of plant sciences with the personal touch, and I was very well prepared to continue on to graduate degrees in agriculture," he says.

"We were able to give Todd the personal touch, as we do will all of our students," says Agronomy Professor Marv Mattson.  "We are a small enough campus that we can show and teach each student the fundamentals.  Students can address real world problems using skills they learn here at UMC.  Our hands-on approach allows students to experience learning first hand in the field and in the laboratory."  Pester agrees, "being a high school graduate from Fisher, Minnesota, I eased into a personal setting where people had a common interest, which was to help me achieve what I wanted to do."

Agriculture Careers

Pester cites UMC's culture and nurturing environment as having had a positive influence on his life and career.  Pester says that people seeking to further their education should seriously consider UMC, as it continues to be a place where students can learn in a nurturing environment, increase their vision of the world, and realize their potential.

He also credits working for Monsanto for giving him a new perspective on agriculture.  "Agricultural companies will always value people with a farming background, a solid understanding of plant sciences, and a strong work ethic," he says.  "I currently conduct and manage regulatory research as an ecologist for Monsanto.  I really enjoy my position, and Monsanto is a great company to work for." 

He points to the cutting-edge technology that he works with, such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  GMOs are both innovative and controversial, but, he says, they are a real part of the future of agriculture.  Pester says Monsanto is working to improve agricultural systems throughout the world and in turn improve the lives of people, and he is helping them do that. 

When he looks ahead, he says that perhaps someday he would like to get involved in education.  Until then, his work at Monsanto, built on his educational foundation from UMC, will only enhance his knowledge and experience no matter where his future leads him.

Editor's Note:  Thanks to Liz Tollefson and Michelle Christopherson for their work with this feature.