Bruce Bugbee — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Serves as Professor at Utah State University since 1981 and Director of the Crop Physiology Laboratory.
Holds the position of President at Apogee Instruments since 1996.
Leads research with NASA on regenerative life support systems and space farming, including developing a dwarf wheat variety used on the Space Station.
Pioneered recirculating hydroponics research since the 1980s, focusing on crop sustainability for long-term space missions.
Awarded the Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology in 2011 and named a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy in 2018.
Gave a TEDx talk titled 'Turning water into food.'
Holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Plant Physiology.

Biography

Bruce Bugbee is an American scientist and Professor at Utah State University (USU), where he has served since 1981 and currently directs the Crop Physiology Laboratory. His career has been guided by the principle that teaching is the highest form of understanding, mentoring 33 graduate students at USU, with six now on faculty at other universities. USU recognized his contributions with the Graduate Mentor of the Year award in 2001 and the Distinguished Professor award in 2015.