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Award delivered at Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and covered in Seed World profile
Joseph Byrum, global head of soybean seeds and traits R&D at Syngenta, has been named a recipient of the 2016 Outstanding Alumnus Award from Michigan State University.
Dr. Joseph Byrum, B.S. ’93 and M.S. ‘95
MSU alumnus Dr. Joseph Byrum serves as global head of product development for Syngenta. He has made it his life’s mission to shape the
future of plant breeding, and he has worked to answer difficult technical questions in hopes of developing models and conducting analyses to
decrease the cost of genetic gain.
In 1993, Dr. Byrum obtained his bachelor’s degree in crop and soil sciences; in 1995, a master’s degree in genetics from MSU. In 1998, he received a Ph.D. in genetics from Iowa State University and, in 2010, an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Byrum was the global head of technology scouting and acquisition for Syngenta, senior global portfolio and strategy lead for Syngenta, and
director of train integration for Monsanto. At Syngenta, he has worked to collaborate with other innovative platforms and been able to give his
company a truly competitive advantage.
Dr. Byrum has made an impact on the application of practical breeding. With breeders, he created tools for quantitative decision-making based on the application of advanced mathematics in the design and decision process of breeding.
Last year, Dr. Byrum was awarded the Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in Operations and the Management Sciences for his contributions in research and analytics. This was the first time in the award’s 43-year history it was given to an agricultural research program. Among his vast list of accomplishments, Dr. Byrum is co-author of several significant patents — six granted patents and 11 pending — and at least 10 publications.
Joseph Byrum is an accomplished executive leader, innovator, and cross-domain strategist with a proven track record of success across multiple industries. With a diverse background spanning biotech, finance, and data science, he has earned over 50 patents that have collectively generated more than $1 billion in revenue. Dr. Byrum’s groundbreaking contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the INFORMS Franz Edelman Prize and the ANA Genius Award. His vision of the “intelligent enterprise” blends his scientific expertise with business acumen to help Fortune 500 companies transform their operations through his signature approach: “Unlearn, Transform, Reinvent.” Dr. Byrum earned a PhD in genetics from Iowa State University and an MBA from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.
