Daniel Otwani

I am passionate about agricultural research for development and the opportunity to contribute to solutions to some of the world’s challenges through science excites me. After graduating with a BSc degree in Agriculture from Egerton University in Kenya, I worked in agricultural extension services and later joined The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) cereals breeding programme as a research technician. I gained special interest in participatory breeding approaches and worked with farming communities in sub-Saharan Africa in sorghum and finger millet variety design, contributing to variety releases and scientific publications. My other interests beyond science are in community volunteering, engagement and mainstreaming inclusive development.

In 2019, I was awarded an Australia Awards Scholarship and joined The University of Western Australia, where I graduated with a Masters of Agricultural Science (Genetics and Breeding) in 2020. In 2021, I joined the QAAFI sorghum breeding team at Hermitage Research Facility in Warwick, through The University of Queensland RTP Scholarship.

My PhD is focused on understanding the mechanism of hybrid vigor in sorghum at the molecular level. The objective is to develop superior hybrids that will improve sorghum yield per unit area, gains that would greatly benefit communities in marginal environments, especially with the challenges of a changing climate.

My principal supervisor is Dr Emma Mace