Kassi Kosnicki just celebrated her one-year anniversary working at WinField United’s Innovation Center. Her current role as a soil DNA scientist is a natural fit given her background in analyzing microbiome data and her ability to code.

A look into Kassi’s workday 

Kassi works in the Innovation Center’s phenotyping lab. Phenotyping is the process of analyzing plant characteristics. The system’s 3D lasers move across plants to measure plant growth and health, providing data about biomass, height, leaf area and more.  

“The phenotyping lab helps growers know when and where to place their products based on how they perform in our controlled environment,” Kassi says. “We’re collecting so much data around the phenotypic measurements.”  

Advice for young people pursuing careers in STEM or agriculture 

Kassi encourages young women to believe in themselves and create their own paths. She had a mentor who “was super influential in teaching me the importance of forging your path and understanding your worth and also job skills in the technical space. She was just brilliant on both ends.”  

Kassi also encourages young people to not be afraid to ask for more opportunities at work.  
“I think a lot of times we have impostor syndrome, or we think that we're not as worthy. And so for me, I've never been afraid to ask my managers, whether it's for promotions or pay increases or just more responsibility on a project, whatever that may look like.”