5 questions with Lillian: Meet an Applied Plant Science alumna
February 24, 2021
Five Questions with Lillian
Lillian Magidow
Bachelor of Science in Applied Plant Science, 2005
Sr. Innovation and Business Development Manager at WinField® United (a division of Land O' Lakes)
Describe your current job. What does it look like on a weekly basis?
In my current role I’m responsible for pursuing innovative new products, services, and partnerships that fill gaps in our portfolio. I also do a lot of work with teams that are outside of Product Development, creating new processes and driving cooperation throughout the organization, such as with the Answer Plots, Ag Technology, our services team, and Truterra. Until recently I was responsible for our spray technology research group, digging into the best ways for farmers and commercial applicators to spray effectively and safely, which was a blast. I’m happy to evolve my role to include more product areas and teams. WinField® United is a cooperative, owned by our retail members; what that means is that we serve businesses who serve farmers. Everything we do is focused on a) enabling our retail customers to run successful business that serve their communities, and b) creating the best products and services for the grower.
I start the week meeting both with the team that reports to me, and with other people my team and I work closely with cross-functionally. Usually I’ll have several meetings during the week about projects, getting updated on the work that our chemistry, field, greenhouse, and spray analysis teams have done, determining if we need to pivot the direction of a project based on results we got. I work a lot with marketing on the strategic direction, ensuring that our products fit the market needs and that we’re doing a good job of communicating about the product. It’s always a good week when we can meet with external partners such as other companies or universities on collaborative projects. In non-COVID times, there would usually be a tour or two, often for our retail customers. Some of that is showing our capabilities, the rest is training and answering questions. It may not sound exciting, but I also do a lot of work on creating strong processes--there’s something very satisfying about getting things in order, and I love the teamwork aspect of it. Now that my role is mostly management, and I’m rarely working in the lab or in the field, but I still have a great time! I love that even after a tough week, I’m still doing everything I can to help farmers and the businesses that serve them.
What made you choose CFANS and the major?
It would be easy to answer that if I came from a farm, but in fact I am a city kid from Minneapolis! I always had a passion for food and for botany, and when I transferred from MCTC I visited several departments. When I came to CFANS it just felt like home. Agriculture brought together my passions, and the faculty seemed very dedicated and engaged. Frankly, the St. Paul campus had a cozy feel that was very welcoming. Applied Plant Science was a great major for me because I was able to pursue a solid base in science, but approached from the applied perspective of agriculture.
"If you have a passion for science and for putting it to use in the real world, this is the department for you. Whether you come from a farm background, or you just love food and agriculture, or you’re passionate about the environment, or maybe you just love playing in the dirt (*ahem* soil), then this is the department for you. The support system is real and you will find a cozy home at CFANS. Take the time to get a variety of experiences. Find a lab or research group to work with, do some study abroad, participate in some student groups, and make sure to take the time to do an internship."
How did your experiences in the major help you in your career?
A few things really stood out for me. One was working in several different labs as a technician. It cemented my love for science and built my confidence to pursue a career as a scientist. The second was my international research experience with the SPAN program in Mexico with current faculty member Dr. Julie Grossman. Looking back, I have no idea how I completed a research project in a foreign country with very little Spanish background, but I did it! It taught me that if there’s a will there’s a way.
What student organizations were you involved in on campus?
The Gopher Crops and Soils Club was a fantastic organization. It was a good way to get to know other students in my major, and not feel lost in the crowd at UMN. Participating in the tri-societies meeting was also inspiring, and it was fun to meet people from all over the country and the world. I also did the ballroom dance club, which was not agriculture related, but was super fun!
What class or which professor had the most significant impact on you?
I really loved the Weed Science lab with Dr. Bev Durgan. I really got a kick out of all the weed ID and I loved her examples from Extension of getting blurry photos and weird faxes of weeds, asking for ID and help with controlling them. Another great one was Crop Physiology with Dr. Vern Cardwell. In my current job, I meet people of all ages who went through Dr. Cardwell’s class—it’s a great thing to connect on and we all learned a ton. Also shoutouts to Steve Simmons, my major advisor, and Julie Grossman, my study abroad advisor who are both incredibly passionate about agriculture and inspiring to students.
