Seed science advocate Lisa Shepherd Jenkins is being remembered in a special way this year at the ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo.

The life of this beautiful and brilliant young woman was cut short earlier this year at the age of 43 after contracting a very rare and incurable disease, but ASTA, Iowa State University Seed Science Center and the American Phytopathological Society (APS) have partnered to keep her memory alive within the industry she loved.

Lisa was director of the administrative unit of the National Seed Health System and seed health testing coordinator at the ISU Seed Science Center, and her husband Andy says ASTA CSS/Seed Expo was one of her favorite annual events for nearly 20 years. “One of her passions was setting good policy,” said Andy. “She got frustrated when policy wasn’t based on science and so she made it her life’s goal to set good policy for the movement of seed.”

Her love for seed science led to the establishment of the Lisa Shepherd Jenkins Memorial Fundraising Initiative for two different programs to help educate the next generation of seed industry professionals. “One is a scholarship fund for undergraduates going into seed science and the other is a travel fund to help professionals get to meetings like ASTA,” Andy explained. An engineer with ALMACO seed equipment company, Andy says they have allowed him to take some time off to help promote his wife’s memorial within the industry.

Lisa’s sister Kim Bartels credits Lisa with mentoring her into the world of agribusiness market research. “She was instrumental in getting me to this meeting at ASTA to meet people that she knew,” said Kim, who works for Jefferson Davis Associates in Cedar Rapids.

Talking with Andy and Kim made me feel sad that I never had the opportunity to meet Lisa. Whether you knew her or not, learn more about Lisa in this interview with her husband and sister and consider donating to her memorial to help educate the next seed industry generation. Interview with Andy Jenkins and Kim Bartels, Lisa Shepherd Jenkins Memorial

ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo Photo Album