Diane Beckles
Diane Beckles
Dr. Diane Beckles is a Professor of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis, in the Department of Plant Sciences. Her research encompasses biotechnology, plant genetics, and postharvest biology. At UC Davis, she is also the Master Advisor of the biotechnology undergraduate major and Co-Coordinator of the Plant Agricultural Biology Graduate Admissions Pathway. Her work is highly regarded in the field and has earned her numerous awards, including a Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Service and Contribution to Broadening Participation in Plant Sciences from the American Association Advancement of Science Caribbean Division, AAC&U STEM Convergence Program Fellow, the ACCELERATE Teaching Fellow at UC Davis, and a feature in Cell Mentor's "1000 Inspiring Black Scientists" in 2020. ATE Teaching Fellow at UC Davis, and a feature in Cell Mentor’s “1000 Inspiring Black Scientists” in 2020.
Shape"If what you‘re doing feels hard, that is because it is" - Diane Beckles, 2024.
Shipman, E., Yu, J., Zhou, J., Albornoz, K., & Beckles, D. M., 2021. Can gene editing reduce postharvest waste and loss of fruit, vegetables, and ornamental?, Horticulture Research, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41438-020-00428-4
Albornoz, K., Cantwell, M., Zhang, L., & Beckles, D. M., 2019. Integrative analysis of postharvest chilling inquiry in cherry tomato fruit reveals contrapuntal spatio-temporal responses to ripening and cold stress, Scientific Reports, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-38877-0
Dong, S. & Beckles, D. M., 2019. Dynamic change in the starch-sugar interconversion within plant source and sink tissues promotes a better abiotic stress response, Journal of Plant Physiology, 234-235(20). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2019.01.007
Thitisaksakul, M., Jimenez, R., Arias, M. C., & Beckles, D. M., 2012. Effects of environmental factors on starch biosynthesis and composition, Journal of Cereal Science, 56(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2012.04.002
Beckles, D. M., 2012. Factors affecting the postharvest soluble solids and sugar content of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit, Postharvest Biology and Technology, 63(1). https://doi.org/j.postharvbio.2011.05.016
Dr. Diane Beckles grew up in Barbados, where the ocean and tropical foliage nurtured her early love for the environment. She attended the University of Sheffield for her bachelor’s in Biotechnology and the University of Cambridge for her PhD in Plant Biochemistry.
Dr. Beckles previously worked as a Researcher at the John Innes Centre (1999) and a Visiting Scientist at DuPont Nutrition & Health (1999-2002). She started teaching at the University of California, Davis in 2003 as an Assistant Professor before being promoted to Associate Professor in 2011 and full Professor in 2021. At the university, Dr. Beckles teaches courses on plant genetics, genetics and biotechnology, postharvest biology, and biotechnology. In addition to teaching, Dr. Beckles researches genes' influence on starch and sucrose accumulation in crop plants. Her current projects include postharvest chilling injury in tomatoes, regulation of sugar starvation in plants, and environmental and genetic control of starch in crops. At UC Davis, she holds several other appointments, including Master Advisor of the biotechnology undergraduate major, Co-Coordinator of the Plant Agricultural Biology Graduate Admissions Pathway, Handling Editor of the Journal of Experimental Botany, and Associate Editor of Scientific Reports and MDPI Agronomy.
Dr. Beckles was recently awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Service and Contribution to Broadening Participation in Plant Sciences from the American Association Advancement of Science Caribbean Division (2024). She was also named an AAC&U STEM Convergence Program Fellow in 2023 and awarded the Best Research Article in 2022 by the Journal of Plant Physiology. Her research and instruction at UC Davis also earned her the ACCELERATE Teaching Fellow, the ADVANCE Faculty Scholar award, and the UC Women's Institute for Professional Development Program Fellow in 2021. Dr. Beckles was named the 2020 Chancellor's Fellow for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for her dedication to diversity in STEM. She was also featured in Cell Mentor's "1000 Inspiring Black Scientists" in 2020, highlighting her extensive contributions to the field.
Dr. Beckles has been fortunate to have had an extensive network of mentors throughout her career. In particular, she cites Dr. Roger Bancroft, a British Scientist she met as a teenager while living in Barbados, as someone who helped affirm her interest in becoming a scientist and advised her on realizing that possibility. Additionally, Dr. Beckles cites Professor Alison M. Smith, OBE, her PhD advisor as one of the most influential mentors in her career. She states that Professor Smith "was fiercely brilliant yet humble" and tries to embody these characteristics as a mentor to her students. Furthermore, Professor John Labavitch and John J Harada were critical in helping Dr. Beckles navigate the promotion process at UC Davis while supporting her commitment to teaching, training, and mentoring.
At UC Davis, Dr. Beckles helps the university recruit and retain underrepresented minority students through mentorship, advising, and socio-culturally relevant research opportunities. She was recognized as the Chancellor's Fellow for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in 2020 and an ADVANCE Scholar in 2021 for her work in this role. In addition to mentorship through her teaching and research, she serves on committees to address inequity in STEM, including the STEAD Committee Strength Through Equity and Diversity at UC Davis, the CAES Faculty Search Committee, and the Plant Biology Graduate Group Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She is also part of a UC-HBCU initiative with Dr. John Harada, which focuses on recruiting and retaining underrepresented minorities at UC Davis.
Dr. Beckles reminds young professionals that "if what you're doing feels hard, that is because it is" (2024). She draws on advice she was given by a professor, who stated that "growth and change cause discomfort, and while it may not feel good, discomfort is not harmful. It is a necessary part of the journey towards achieving what matters to you."
Diane Beckles. (n.d.). LinkedIn. Retrieved April 19, 2024 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianebeckles/
Diane Beckles [Photos]. (n.d.). LinkedIn. Retrieved April 19, 2024 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianebeckles/
Diane Beckles Lab. (n.d.). UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. Retrieved April 19, 2024 from https://psfaculty.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/plantsciences_faculty/beckles/
Diane M. Beckles. (n.d.). UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. Retrieved April 19, 2024 from https://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/people/diane-beckles
(JEDSI) Survey and interviews conducted by Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Sustainability Initiative staff. 2022-2024. Yale University-School of the Environment. New Haven, Connecticut.
Diane Beckles [Photos]. (n.d.). LinkedIn. Retrieved April 19, 2024 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianebeckles/