Henry A. Wallace Award
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Established in 1978 to honor an Iowa State University alumnus who has made an outstanding contribution to national or international agriculture in writing, teaching, research, or leadership
David L. Wright
BS Agronomy ’82
MS Agronomy ’86
West Des Moines, Iowa
David Wright began working for the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) in 2001 and now serves as its director of contract research and strategic initiatives. He provides strategic direction to ISA and oversight for the board’s contract research investments. His focus is on the facilitation and coordination of checkoff-funded research initiatives in the areas of soybean breeding and production.
Wright guides university researchers across the United States in the prioritization of research that will improve profitability for soybean producers. He also provides strategic direction to the North Central Soybean Research Program, a collaboration of 12 state checkoff boards. That program pools funding from checkoff boards and invests in research that affects soybean producers throughout the U.S.
Wright served as a regional agronomy services manager for Cargill Hybrid and led its U.S. soybean research and development activities before joining ISA. Wright grew up on a row crop, dairy, and livestock farm in central Iowa. He holds a doctorate in agronomy from Kansas State University.
Wright and his wife, Geniece, have two children. He is an ISU Alumni Association annual member.
