Kay Watt

Kay Watt, PhD, is the Director of Program Management and Harnessing Plants Initiative Program Manager at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where responsibilities include developing strategic roadmaps and facilitating scientific collaborations to achieve carbon dioxide sequestration goals by 2030. Previously, Kay served as Director of Genetics at Grace Executive Services, leading a team to execute large-scale projects and shape roadmap strategies. Kay also worked as a Strategic Business Analyst at HM.CLAUSE, creating data-driven strategies for R&D, and as a Graduate Researcher at Gepts Lab, focusing on drought resilience in crops. Educational qualifications include a PhD in Integrated Genomics and Genetics: Plant Breeding from the University of California, Davis, and a BS in Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.