Research Team
Eric Votava, PH.D.
General Manager of R&D Division
phone - (512) 439-9451
email - evotava@sesaco.com
Joined Sesaco in 2013. Background in vegetable breeding - specifically peppers and lettuce. Worked with Syngenta, Pybas Vegetable Seed, Johnnys Selected Seeds, and De Ruiter Seeds. Received a Ph.D. in Agronomy, Plant Genetics and Breeding from New Mexico State University.
Gerald De la fuente, PH.D.
Sesame Breeder
phone - (512) 806-4548
email - gdelafuente@sesaco.com
Joined Sesaco in 2015. Background in corn genetics. Iowa State University, Ph.D., Plant Breeding. Texas A&M, Master of Science (MS), Plant Breeding. Texas A&M, Bachelor of Science, Plant and Environmental Soil Science.
Travis Rooney, ph.d.
Sesame Breeder & Bioinformatician
phone - (512) 839-5578
email - trooney@sesaco.com
Joined Sesaco in 2022. Before joining Sesaco he completed a masters and Ph.D. from Cornell University in Plant Breeding and Genetics working with malting barley. Also completed a bachelors of science at Texas A&M University in Biological and Agricultural engineering with a minor in Chemistry. He and his wife have three children.