Iowa State University’s Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding to Honor Dr. David Bubeck
with Extraordinary Service Award
AMES, Iowa — The Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding at Iowa State University is proud to announce that Dr. David Bubeck has been selected to receive the Extraordinary Service to the Plant Breeding Community Award. This honor recognizes Dr. Bubeck’s exceptional passion for and dedication to the fields of plant breeding and genetics, reflected in his distinguished accomplishments as a corn breeder, his leadership across the seed industry, and his longstanding commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists.
The award will be presented on March 25, 2026, during the Raymond F. Baker Plant Breeding Symposium at the Iowa State University Alumni Center, 429 Alumni Lane, Ames, Iowa.
“For his utmost passion and dedication to plant breeding and genetics, demonstrated by his successes in the seed industry as a corn breeder and a leader, his exemplary leadership and service at many professional organizations, and his constant presence to engage and encourage numerous young minds.”
About Dr. David Bubeck
Dr. Bubeck received his B.S. in Agronomy (1986) and M.S. in Plant Breeding and Cytogenetics (1987) from Iowa State University, followed by a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Crop Science from North Carolina State University in 1991.
He began his career as a corn breeder with Northrup King Co. (later Sandoz, Novartis, and Syngenta) before joining Pioneer Hi‑Bred, now Corteva, in 1998 as a Research Coordinator in Corn Breeding. He advanced to Research Director in 2000 and went on to lead several components of the North America and Southern Europe corn breeding programs through 2013.
Since then, Dr. Bubeck has held multiple global leadership positions at Corteva, including Corn Platform Product Program Director and roles overseeing Global Trait Integration, Global Plant Pathology, and Global Parent Characterization. He currently serves as Research Director and Seed Product Development (SPD) Global Breeding Alliances Lead, guiding efforts in germplasm intellectual property protection and bridging plant breeding innovation with regulatory, compliance, and stewardship priorities.
Beyond his industry leadership, Dr. Bubeck has made significant contributions to professional organizations. He is a Past President of the National Association for Plant Breeding (NAPB), current President of the Seed Science Foundation (SSF), and a member of the Board of Directors for Living History Farms. For numerous students, early career scientists, and colleagues in plant breeding and genetics, Dr. Bubeck’ wide impact is best described as “a caring mentor” who offers encouragement, guidance, and a strong sense of community.
Event Details
Award Ceremony: March 25, 2026
Event: Raymond F. Baker Plant Breeding Symposium
Location: Iowa State University Alumni Center, Ames, Iowa