Dr. Elizabeth Mitcham is director of the Horticulture Innovation Lab, a $37 million program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and managed by the University of California, Davis.  As program director, she develops and manages a portfolio of 24 agriculture development projects in Africa, Southeast Asia and Central America, with research topics spanning the horticultural value chain. The Horticulture Innovation Lab’s global research network advances fruit and vegetable innovations, empowering smallholder farmers to earn more income while better nourishing their communities.

As a scientist, Elizabeth is an internationally renowned expert in postharvest physiology, with an emphasis on reducing food loss and maintaining produce freshness after harvest. She previously served as director of the University of California’s Postharvest Technology Center, where she remains an active researcher.  Through her career, Elizabeth has shared her expertise with professionals and farmers from more than 50 countries. Elizabeth currently serves as the Vice President-Elect for the International Division of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences (ASHS) and was previously honored as the ASHS Outstanding International Horticulturist. Elizabeth joined the UC Davis faculty in 1992 as a UC Cooperative Extension specialist, and holds degrees in horticulture from the University of Maryland (Ph.D. and B.S.) and North Carolina State University (M.S.).

Fun Fact: Elizabeth has come to enjoy solo traveling to many interesting places around the world, and recently visited  Machu Picchu in Peru.