Renee has a background in crop physiology, agronomy, and agro-ecology, with experience in technology discovery and product development for both intensive agriculture and resource-limited cropping systems. Prior to her current appointment, Renee was a Research Fellow at DuPont Pioneer and then at Corteva Agrisciences, where she focused on application of new phenotyping and remote sensing technologies for crop improvement, gene discovery, and the evaluation of new microbial and crop protection products. Previously, Renee worked in the CGIAR system, based first at the Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico, and later at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines.