Image: Congratulations Kelly! Kelly Dawe, Distinguished Research Professor and UGA Athletic Association Professor in the Franklin College departments of Plant Biology and Genetics was recognized as the 2025 Inventor of the year at the UGA research awards on April 3rd for his ground-breaking research. Kelly has revolutionized maize breeding through his patented technology that enables the efficient production of haploid maize plants—plants with a single set of chromosomes instead of the usual two—allowing breeders to develop pure, genetically stable crop lines in half the time of traditional methods. This innovation dramatically enhances the precision and speed of plant breeding, with significant implications for global agriculture and food supplies. An international agricultural company licensed Dawe’s technology for worldwide use, integrating it into high-efficiency crop improvement programs. In collaboration with this company, Dawe and the UGA Research Foundation have filed 24 utility patent applications internationally, with one issued to date. Since the exclusive license agreement was signed in 2021, the technology has generated nearly $1.5 million in licensing revenue. Dawe’s work exemplifies the transformative impact of molecular genetics on commercial agriculture and food security. Congratulations, Kelly! The original announcement and picture was posted in UGA Research News. For more information on Kelly's research see the Dawe Lab website
