Derek W. BarchengerDr. Barchenger is lead pepper breeder at WorldVeg, Taiwan. His program emphasizes breeding for disease resistance in tropical regions. He received the prestigious U.S. Borlaug Fellows in Food Security Fellowship, and numerous other research awards. A WorldVeg, Dr. Barchenger has implemented a Phytophthora capsici race characterization protocol to support international anticipatory breeding against this devastating pathogen. He was a Graduate Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Plant Breeding and Breeding Disease Resistance. It was at Oklahoma State University, as an undergraduate assistant in the Plant Pathology Department, that he learned to appreciate the complexity of plant diseases affecting horticultural crops. At the University of Arkansas, he evaluated blackberries, peaches, nectarines, grapes, and blueberries for improved disease resistance. Read More Read Less