I earned my B.S. degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1993 and my Ph.D. at the University of Missouri (MU) studying the regulation of the maize mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase protein complex. In 1999 I began a postdoctoral position at Michigan State University investigating the regulation of plastid acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase), a protein complex that catalyzes the committed step for de novo fatty acid synthesis. In 2002, I returned to MU to be the Associate Director of the Proteomics Center. Then in 2004 I joined the MU Biochemistry Department as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2009 then Full Professor in 2016. My lab studies fatty acid biosynthesis in plants, specifically elucidating the unique regulatory properties of plant ACCase and leveraging these new discoveries to engineer higher oil in crops. Additionally, my research interests include plant metabolic regulation, seed development, protein phosphorylation, and quantitative proteomics approaches to study biological systems. I have authored over 140 publications, 5 patents, and founded a startup company. In 2011, I was awarded both the Presidential Early Career Award for Research Excellence and the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity from MU.