Dr. Mitch Tuinstra is a Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Purdue University. He studies how cereal crops like maize and sorghum can be enhanced through plant breeding to improve crop productivity in stressful environments. Given the predictions of climate change, there is a tremendous need to understand how crop plants respond to heat and drought stresses and how this information can be translated in developing varieties that are better adapted to abiotic stress. Dr. Tuinstra began his academic career at Kansas State University where he headed a sorghum crop improvement program for drought-prone environments. He joined the faculty in the Department of Agronomy at Purdue University in 2007. The main focus of his research involves analyses of genetic variation in cereal crops with the aim to discover genes or traits that improve plant tolerance to adverse growing conditions. He supports education and training programs for students and researchers in public and private sector programs.