Mayowa Aderoju

 Mayowa Aderoju serves as a Ph.D. student under the guidance of Dr. Gary Munkvold. Mayowa brings a strong background in plant pathology and a passion for seed health research.

Mayowa earned his bachelor’s degree in Crop, Soil, and Pest Management from the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) in Nigeria. He then completed his M.S. in Plant Pathology at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in 2024, where he focused on managing Sclerotinia diseases in sugar beets. His experience continued at Corteva Agriscience, where he interned and later worked as a Research Technician on the Disease Assay and Development Team—optimizing disease assays for corn and soybean.

At Iowa State, Mayowa will be studying Seed Pathology, exploring diagnostic and management strategies for seed-borne diseases to improve seed health.

“I chose Iowa State because of its world-class plant pathology program and the Seed Science Center's leadership in seed health research,” Mayowa shared. “My experiences at Corteva and my conversations with Dr. Munkvold helped me realize this was the perfect place to continue my journey.”

Mayowa is especially looking forward to participating in NSHS trainings and workshops, and contributing to research that addresses real-world seed health challenges.

Outside the lab, Mayowa enjoys writing, science communication, and engaging with youth through 4-H and science clubs. He also enjoys playing pool and table tennis, watching soccer and basketball, and learning from people of diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Originally from Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, Mayowa comes from a region rich in Yoruba culture and known for its cocoa production. Fun fact: his home state includes Igbo Ora, famously called the “Twin Capital of the World” due to its exceptionally high twin birth rate!