Zach Eldred

I am originally from Morgantown, West Virginia. After graduating high school in 2006, I spent 8 years in the Navy as an EOD Technician. In 2008 I moved to Guam, where I would spend the next decade. Throughout my Naval career I traveled and worked all over Asia and in developing countries. In 2015 I started college, but after taking my core agriculture courses, I could not choose which field to focus on. Luckily, in my junior year, my entomology professor recommended that I investigate the DPM program. After learning about this broad hands-on interdisciplinary program, I knew the DPM program was right for me.
In the summer before my senior year, I attended an agriculture seminar in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. During this seminar I came to the realization that all my experiences, travels, people and cultures were inextricably linked to agriculture. Finally, in May of 2019 I graduated from the University of Guam with a BS in Tropical Agriculture. After graduation, my son and I moved to Florida and I began the DPM program in August 2019. Ultimately, my goal is to utilize the skills and knowledge acquired in the DPM program to improve the lives of farmers and communities in developing countries.