Christopher and the Citrus Orchard
- whotellsyourstoryu
- Aug 6, 2018
- 2 min read
Name: Christopher Drozd
PhD Student in the Plant Pathology Program, UCR
B.S. in Plant Biology, UCR
Class of 2017
As someone whose family owns a small Citrus orchard, I have grown up around plants my whole life. I have always been enamored with botany, and eager to learn more. Reading about scientists who made agricultural breakthroughs that fundamentally changed the way we grow our food was extremely fascinating to me. My ever-growing passion led me to pursue a degree in Plant Sciences. I chose UC Riverside based on UCR’s history as a land-grant university. UCR started out as a Citrus Experimentation Station, where scientists would conduct a myriad of research on new methods and new cultivars of Citrus, a cornerstone of California’s massive agricultural production. Coming from my family background, this work was something I found incredibly interesting. I got involved in scientific research the first quarter I enrolled here. It was a whole new world to me. Even as an undergraduate assistant, I was floored to be a part of some awesome projects that put science in action.
Eventually I worked my way up and was given my own independent projects. It was difficult. There were definite hardships and frustrations, but my passion for science kept me going. I knew that this was what I wanted to do for a career. It was intellectually stimulating, fascinating, and the end results helped to either solve a problem, or further our knowledge. After my graduation, I set my sights on earning my PhD in Plant Pathology. I wanted to use my skills and knowledge to help fight the myriad of diseases that threaten our food crops, such as Citrus Greening, a deadly microbial infection of citrus that could devastate California’s Citrus industry and put many growers, big and small, out of business. When searching for a grad school, no other school could match what UCR offered in it’s faculty, facilities, and culture. The choice was a no-brainer. I’m beyond excited to start my career as a plant pathologist, where I will work to help cure the diseases that plague today’s farmers.
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