Studying agricultural science has been a happy marriage of agriculture and science for Sam Wilson, who is currently undertaking his PhD in plant science at Massey University.
Sam grew up on his family’s sheep and beef farm at Hunterville and always felt he would do something in the agricultural sector. At high school, he discovered he enjoyed, and was good at,
science. Studying agricultural science seemed a logical option to bring the two together.
He completed his undergraduate studies at Lincoln University. Inspirational lecturers in the plant science space, like Derrick Moot, Rainer Hofmann and Alistair Black, sparked a love of plant science and agronomy and set him on a path to discover more. “Their enthusiasm and passion rubbed off on me and it clicked that this was a topic I wanted to look at. I have always felt I wanted to be academically challenged, and like thinking about things from a scientific point of view.”
A summer job at Plant and Food Research opened his eyes to the connection between science and research, and the idea it could be a career pathway for him. Sam gets a kick out of knowing he is continually in search of knowledge that no other human being has ever held.
“To be able to apply what I’ve learned, in a context that could potentially help the New Zealand pastoral industry and community, is an opportunity that I am extremely grateful for.”
While many of his undergraduate peers went off to work in agri-business roles, he decided to pursue a pathway of further education. His PhD project is investigating the impact of abiotic stresses on the ability of plantain to persist and grow within perennial ryegrass-based grazed pastures.
Sam thought he would like to get into teaching and when the opportunity arose to apply for a T. R. Ellett Agricultural Research Trust funded lecturer’s role at Massey, he jumped at the chance.
“I’ve always liked teaching, especially around coaching and sports clubs. I like watching younger people learn and achieve, it’s fun.”
The Trust funded position helped provide a pathway for Sam to realise his desire to teach, while enabling him to finish his PhD. This provided him with some certainty around his future and secured
him a lecturing role. “It’s definitely sped the whole process up, and it was perfect timing for me.” He began in his new position in June and his main focus is to complete his PhD while easing into the
new teaching and research role. So far, he has spent time observing other lecturers and learning how to manage a group for the integrative studies paper that agriculture students take in the final
semester of their third year. Once his PhD is finished, he expects to transition into lecturing, with a 70% teaching, 30% research split.
“I love my hometown of Hunterville and I think, ultimately, it’s about paying back my own community for developing me as a person.”
A little-known fact about Sam is that he’s huge Taylor Swift fan. When he’s not busy with work he enjoys spending time with his partner Kate and cat, Luna. He enjoys playing cricket, though he’s
shelved his childhood dream of becoming a professional cricket player in favour of science and developing the next generation of agriculturalists.