Rate My Professor Oscar Riera-Lizarazu

Dr. Oscar Riera-Lizarazu is a Professor and the Robert E. Basye Endowed Chair in Rose Genetics in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University, where he also serves as Associate Department Head for Graduate Programs and a Texas A&M AgriLife Research plant geneticist. He leads the Rose Genetics and Breeding program, focusing on polyploid genetic analysis, the genetic basis of traits in landscape roses, and the application of genomics-based methods for germplasm improvement. His research addresses critical industry challenges, including rose rosette disease, black spot, and Cercospora leaf spot, while developing disease- and pest-resistant varieties tolerant to abiotic stresses with superior ornamental quality. With over 25 years of national and international experience in plant genetics, cytogenetics, and breeding, he employs genomics, biocomputational tools, and data science to advance sustainable rose breeding and elevate program impacts through interdisciplinary collaborations with plant pathology, entomology, horticulture, economics, the green industry, USDA, and other universities.

Riera-Lizarazu earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Plant Science from Utah State University and a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from the University of Minnesota. His distinguished career includes senior-level positions as Global Wheat and Sorghum Breeding Leader at Dow AgroSciences and North America Regional Crops’ Technology Leader at Corteva Agriscience; director-level roles at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT, CGIAR) in India; tenured faculty in the Department of Crop and Soil Science at Oregon State University; and research scientist positions at the International Wheat and Maize Improvement Center (CIMMYT, CGIAR) in Mexico and the Bolivian Institute of Agricultural Technology (IBTA) in Bolivia. Appointed to the Basye Endowed Chair in June 2024, he continues impactful work initiated by rose enthusiast Robert E. Basye in 1991, supporting research, education, and outreach to train future professionals, provide science-based data to stakeholders like growers, and position Texas A&M as a leader in rose breeding science. As Co-Director of the Tools for Polyploids project, he contributes to developing genomics tools for polyploid crops.