Professional Software Development in Agriculture Research – A peek into development technologies, work environment, and talent discovery at Corteva

This presentation will start by touching on who is Corteva Agriscience, what we do, and how we do our work with an emphasis on our research and development organization.  The core of the talk will focus on professional software development in research at Corteva by peeking into the software development technologies, the work environment for the typical developer, problems we solve, and on how we discover and select talent.

Speaker: Phillip Fiedler

Phillip Fiedler was born and grew up on a farm in Iowa.  He pursued his passion for Electrical Engineering at Iowa State University, earning his bachelor’s degree.  After graduation he accepted an engineering position at General Dynamics in Forth Worth, Texas to work on the F-16 fighter jet program where he learned about new technologies and manufacturing processes.

Driven by a thirst for knowledge, Phillip continued his education at the University of Texas in Arlington where he received his masters and doctorate degree in Electrical Engineering with a focus on “human performance” and “instrumentation and measurement”.  Simultaneously, he collaborated with Dr. Kondraske at the Human Performance Institute and expanded his expertise in measurement.

Upon completing his Ph.D. Phillip joined the Genesis Systems Group in Davenport, IA to develop software to interact with Kuka and Fanuc robotics systems.  The experience within various manufacturing environments, from agriculture to furniture, deepened his appreciation for software development opportunities in industry.

In 2000, Phillip transitioned to Open Technologies, where he served as a systems integrator. His work spanned across commercial and educational organizations throughout the United States. During his personal time, he honed his skills, explored new horizons, and deployed mobile educational applications.

Currently, Phillip holds the position of Software Engineering Group Leader at Corteva (formerly known as Pioneer) in Johnston.  He works on a leadership team that is responsible for 50 agile teams developing software for research and development groups.

About Corteva Agriscience

A global agriculture company, Corteva Agriscience focuses on providing innovative solutions to farmers that enhance their productivity and sustainability. Corteva operates in over 140 companies and offers a wide range of products and services, including digital agriculture tools that can work to help farmers minimize their environmental impact. As the only major agriscience company completely dedicated to agriculture, they work together to help agricultural communities thrive.