The Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology
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Plant Science Student Spotlight: Satpal Sidhu
Plant Science graduate Satpal Sidhu’s hands-on experience tied to research on campus and at Bayer CropScience has allowed him to create an exciting career path.
Sidhu was born and raised in Punjab, India where he helped on his family farm before moving to the United States at 18 years old.
His passion for plant science has been further ignited by a research project based on growth responses of pistachio rootstocks to irrigation water salinity with faculty members Dr. Brar and Dr. Benes.
Learn more about his interesting background, and career path in this recent interview.
Q: When do you intend to graduate, and what is your current degree?
Sidhu: “I am on my plan to graduate in Fall 2021, and I am doing my bachelor’s degree in Plant Science.”
Q: Talk about where you are from, why you chose to attend Fresno State, and why are you attracted to you degree?
Sidhu: “I was born in Punjab, a state in India which is the biggest state in terms of agricultural produce and is also known as the “Food basket of India”. While growing up in a family active in agriculture, I have developed a passion to learn in depth about plants and agriculture.”
Sidu: “I chose Fresno State because of its faculty in agriculture, the program itself,
and its location in the Central Valley which is huge in agriculture. This would expose
me to plenty of opportunities to fulfill my goals.”
Q: What was your background in agriculture before you started at Fresno State?
Sidhu: “Before I got into Fresno State, I was involved in a family farm back in India.
My ancestors and all the previous generations were also involved in agriculture primarily.”
Q: Do you have any other family members that graduated from Fresno State?
Sidhu: “My cousin Pritam Dhanoa also went to Fresno State and finished his master’s
in Computer Science.”
Q: Which classes & faculty members had the biggest influence on you while at Fresno
State?
Sidhu: “All the faculty members have been helpful, but there are some members who I had a chance to work with and had the biggest influence on me like Dr. Bushoven, Dr. Benes, Dr. Brar, and Marlene Miyasaki. They always motivated me to learn more and were willing to help, and I learned a lot from them.”
Q: Have you been involved with research on campus?
Sidhu: “Yes, I worked as a research assistant with Dr. Brar and did a research project on “Growth Responses of Pistachio Rootstocks to Irrigation Water Salinity” with Dr. Brar and with Dr. Benes. This study was conducted in the greenhouse at Fresno State and the purpose was to compare the two pistachio rootstocks, UCB-1 and Platinum. Having this experience in research will definitely help me in the future to fulfill my career goals.”
Q: What companies have you done internships or part-time jobs with while at Fresno
State?
Sidhu: “I did an internship with Bayer Crop Science. It’s been a really great opportunity
for me as I get to apply my theoretical knowledge in person at the actual farm. My
job title is field operation associate, and usually I worked with the scientists on
many research projects. Some tasks include chemigation, transplanting, identifying
weeds, identifying pests, evaluation, irrigation, collecting samples, and drone spraying.
I am learning a lot from this internship, and I am confident of the professional skillset
that I developed such as discipline, efficiency, improvisation, working in a team,
meeting deadlines, working under pressure, and adapting to advanced technologies.”
Q: At your internship, what were the most memorable experiences?
Sidhu: “I am glad that I got an opportunity to work with such a renowned company. One of the memorable experiences I would say was when I had a chance to go on a field tour to visit other growers in the Valley, talked to them and saw how differently they practice agriculture from the companies.”
Q: Have you participated in any other outreach activities or events that benefited
the community?
Sidhu: “I am a member of “Punjabi American Grower’s Group” (PAGG) and it organizes
events that answer the questions from all the growers, and creates awareness about
the issues in agriculture.”
Q: Have you overcome any challenges to get where you are today that have shaped who
you are?
Sidhu: “The biggest challenge I faced was the adversity of coming to the United States
alone at 18 years old, after never having been out of my home state. I became independent
and self-reliable due to being alone and having to maneuver not only the U.S. education
system but the adult world on my own.”
Q: What's your potential next career step, and how do you plan to use your degree
eventually?
Sidhu: “ I would possibly like to work within the sales and marketing sector.”