Dr. Janice Zale earned a Ph.D. in Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan in 1993, and an MS degree in Plant Science at the University of Alberta in 1987. Dr. Zale worked in Academia, private industry and with the USDA before coming to the University of Tennessee in the autumn of 2003. Dr. Zale's research interests include monocot transformation, reproductive biology, crop improvement and using crops as renewable sources of energy. Future research may include work to develop novel ornamental monocots and introduce specialty crops.