Alexandra Grygorczyk

Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

Research scientist

What 3 to 4 professional and/or personal accomplishments are you most proud of?

• The collaborative multi-stakeholder efforts I’ve been able to create between industry and the multi-disciplinary teams within my organization to tackle problems the industry is facing, particularly around food waste and by-product valorization. Taking those projects from a needs identification phase to developing practical research projects and resourcing them to make them a reality has been really exciting.
• Leading a project that created an instrumental method for predicting apple texture. The method is now used on hundreds of apples every year in our apple breeding program and enabled Vineland to identify genetic markers for apple texture.
• Raising kids who love nature and the outdoors and have been backcountry camping since they were a year old.

What led you to work in the horticulture industry?

• I completed a doctorate in food science and had no background in horticulture. However, one of my advisors on my Ph.D. committee worked at Vineland and, after I graduated, she hired me.
• I’ve learned a lot about horticulture by being at Vineland for over a decade and still find it a fascinating industry. I’m so grateful for what I know now about the great things the sector is doing and how it connects with the food sector.

What’s the best thing about your job? (Please select one)

• Co-workers

Describe to a 6-year-old what you do in life?

• I’m a scientist that is helping farmers and food companies reduce food and plant waste by turning it into new, useful products.

What are your favorite hobbies?

• Back-country camping
• Dancing ballet
• Travel

When you’re not working, what are 2 to 3 things we could find you doing?

• Spending time with my kids
• Hiking or gardening
• Taking various types of dance classes from ballet to Latin, hip hop or contemporary.

What are you (un)secretly good at?

• Jumping between tasks quickly, which can also drive the people around me crazy.

What are your top three bucket list items?

• Visit Antarctica, the last continent that I haven’t visited.
• Take my kids out of school for 3 to 4 months and travel around the world with them and my husband.
• Live a year of my adult life in a different country.

What’s your favorite plant variety and why?

• Magnolia tree. We had a magnolia outside of my childhood home, and my parents would take a picture of us kids in front of the magnolia every spring when it bloomed.
• Now when I happen to be visiting my parents when the magnolia is in bloom, I try to take pictures of my own kids in front of the same tree.

You’re buying a vacation package to anywhere in the world without a budget, where are you going?

• A world tour with my family.

Do you have any unusual talents, or can you tell us something interesting about yourself that other people may be surprised to find out?

• I love to travel and have been to nearly 40 countries across 6 continents.

One thing you can’t live without?

• Comfy pants