Robert Thomas Fraley (January 25, 1953,
Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Vermilion County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 33,027. As of 2019, the population was an estimated 30,479.
History
The area that is now Danville was once home to the Miami, K ...
[) was Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at ]Monsanto
The Monsanto Company () was an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Monsanto's best known product is Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, developed in th ...
, where he helped to develop the first genetically modified seeds. He retired from Monsanto in June 2018. He advocates for the use of GMO products to address global food insecurity
Food security speaks to the availability of food in a country (or geography) and the ability of individuals within that country (geography) to access, afford, and source adequate foodstuffs. According to the United Nations' Committee on World F ...
and reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture.
Early life and education
Fraley grew up on a farm near Hoopeston, Illinois
Hoopeston () is a city in Grant Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 4,915.
History
Hoopeston was laid out in 1871. It was named for Thomas Hoopes, one of the men who offered lan ...
.University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...
for both his bachelors and PhD, the latter focused on microbiology and biochemistry, working with Professor Samuel Kaplan in the Department of Microbiology, and completed in 1979. He did post-doctoral research in biophysics at the University of California-San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a public land-grant research university in San Francisco, California. It is part of the University of California system and is dedicated entirely to health science and life science. It cond ...
.Agrobacterium tumefaciens
''Agrobacterium radiobacter'' (more commonly known as ''Agrobacterium tumefaciens'') is the causal agent of crown gall disease (the formation of tumours) in over 140 species of eudicots. It is a rod-shaped, Gram-negative soil bacterium. Sympto ...
'' to transfer genes conferring a selectable marker into the cells of petunia plants.
Recognition
* In 1988 Fraley was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...
.The Progressive Farmer
''Progressive Farmer'' is an agricultural magazine, published 14 times a year by Data Transmission Network, DTN. The magazine is based in Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama.
History
Founded in Winston, North Carolina, in 1886 by North Car ...
's Man of the Year in 1995.
* In 1999 he was awarded he National Medal of Technology
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation (formerly the National Medal of Technology) is an honor granted by the President of the United States to American inventors and innovators who have made significant contributions to the development ...
by President Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
.NAS Award for the Industrial Application of Science
The NAS Award for the Industrial Application of Science is awarded by the U.S. United States National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences "for original scientific work of intrinsic scientific importance and with significant, beneficia ...
"for developing technologies that enabled the production of the world's first transgenic crops."Biotechnology Heritage Award
The Biotechnology Heritage Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of biotechnology through discovery, innovation, and public understanding. It is presented annually at the Biotechnology Innovation ...
from the Biotechnology Industry Organization
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) is the largest advocacy association in the world representing the biotechnology industry.
It was founded in 1993 as the Biotechnology Industry Organization, and changed its name to the Biotechnology ...
(BIO) and the Chemical Heritage Foundation
The Science History Institute is an institution that preserves and promotes understanding of the history of science. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it includes a library, museum, archive, research center and conference center.
It was fo ...
.World Food Prize
The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. Conceived by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nor ...
for "breakthrough achievements in founding, developing, and applying modern agricultural biotechnology".
The Lincoln Academy of Illinois
and awarded the Order of Lincoln
The Lincoln Academy of Illinois is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to recognizing contributions made by living Illinoisans. Named for Abraham Lincoln, the Academy administers the ''Order of Lincoln'', the highest award given ...
(the State’s highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois on June 19, 2021.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraley, Robert
21st-century American biologists
American chief technology officers
University of Illinois alumni
Monsanto employees
Living people
1953 births
Agriculture and food award winners