Meet the ACES alum behind a transformative gift to revitalize the Morrow Plots
When Bayer’s Crop Science division Head of R&D Mike Graham returns to campus this week, he’ll be looking ahead to the future of agricultural innovation and the enduring value of land-grant research. Graham will join College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Dean Germán Bollero for a fireside chat at the 11th Annual AgTech Innovation Summit, presented by Bayer, on March 10, at the Illinois Conference Center in Champaign. Registration to attend the Ag Tech Summit is free.
Graham’s visit comes at a defining moment for the college. As ACES marks the 150th anniversary of the Morrow Plots — the oldest continuous crop experiment in the Americas — Bayer’s Crop Science division is supporting their revitalization through a transformative gift. The investment underscores the enduring value of long-term agricultural research and the land-grant mission that continues to drive discovery from Illinois to fields around the world.
For Graham, the connection is both strategic and deeply personal.
Born in Australia, he moved with his family to India at age seven. After one year, they moved again, this time to Colombia. By the time Graham was 18, his family had migrated once more — now to the U.S.
That journey ultimately led him to the College of ACES, where he completed his doctorate in 1993.
Growing up, he witnessed his father’s career as a soil microbiologist, an influence that would shape his own interest in plant breeding and genetics.
“My dad had a passion to think about soil microbiology through the lens of how it benefits smaller farmers. My brother and I would sometimes be among his laborers who helped him with his research. We got a unique vantage point in understanding how science could bring value to a farmer, and that helped us get into crop science and agriculture,” Graham said.
After moving to the U.S., Graham first attended the University of Minnesota, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, and then pursued a master’s degree at the University of Delaware.
“After my master’s, I had experience in corn but was looking to gain experience in soybeans. The question was, where is one of the best places in the U.S. to get that experience? And the answer was the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The university has some of the best knowledge in quantitative genetics across crops and also has a very strong, emerging capability in biotech, including molecular marker technology. And it’s only continued to grow,” Graham said.
Alongside the academic foundation that sharpened his expertise in crop sciences, Illinois also offered an unparalleled network of collaborators and mentors — connections that would shape the trajectory of his career.
“All this was incredibly valuable as I progressed in my career: people to connect with, people to work with, and learning about the importance of how you think about people and teams in the workplace,” Graham said.
“There are three things that I ask everybody: How do you face big, hard scientific problems at scale? How do you make sure they address a farmer's problem? And how do you enable that by working across teams to bring it to fruition? Those have been the things that I love to do, and some of the things that the University of Illinois helped me with as I began my career. ACES taught me that I love the technical part of the work that we do, but I also love the people part.”
After graduation, Graham began his career at Asgrow Seed Company. Following the company’s acquisition by Monsanto, he went on to serve as Director of Trait Field Solutions, Director of North America and Europe Plant Breeding, and eventually Vice President of Global Plant Breeding. 27 years after joining Asgrow, Graham is now the head of research and development at Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018.
“Being in a position where I can think about both the next generation of product and solutions — but also how to help individuals and teams with their career or what they can achieve and how they can do more — has been so enjoyable for me,” Graham said.
“So far, I’ve spent a lot of time getting to know people in the organization, understanding where they are, what their concerns are, and what we could be doing better. I’ve also been learning a lot about crop protection, which is a big part of the organization today.”
Even as his career has advanced, Graham has remained closely connected to Illinois and the College of ACES, and indeed, the most historic research field in the U.S. “It was an easy decision to say, ‘Yes, let’s celebrate and commemorate the Morrow Plots,’” Graham said, referring to Bayer’s gift to revitalize the Morrow Plots in their 150th year.
For Graham, his time at ACES was an amazing moment in his career when “all the doors were wide open to explore and learn,” he said. “I hope current students will always take advantage of being and learning at Illinois, because nobody will ever say no. Be willing to share your perspectives and always be thoughtful about how it gets applied to solving problems.”
As the College of ACES celebrates 150 years of the Morrow Plots, we invite you to be part of this milestone year — attend events, explore the stories of discovery, and follow along as we look ahead to the next chapter of land-grant innovation. You can also make a lasting impact by supporting the Morrow Plots with a gift that helps preserve this living laboratory and advance research that serves farmers, communities, and global food systems for generations to come. Join us in celebrating — and investing in — the next 150 years.