Jeff Hansen is a research technician at the University of Illinois in the lab of Steve Long. His research focuses on the physiological phenotyping of staple food crops including cassava, cowpea, maize, and soybean. With his background in plant production, Jeff is excited to contribute to the RIPE project to help feed the ever-growing world population. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in horticulture from the University of Illinois and has worked at the Indianapolis 200, Chicago Botanic Garden, and on the university's plant pathology research team.