Hello {{first_name | everyone}}!
Through the newsletter, I’ve had the chance to speak with remarkable scientists from around the world. Many of these conversations have offered valuable insights into how people build careers in plant pathology.
I find inspiration in these conversations, so I wanted to share them here so you can also learn from and be inspired by these scientists.
No fancy recording studios, no scripts. Just me experimenting with a new idea to bring you good conversations with some amazing scientists!
Please enjoy the second in this series, a one-on-one with Darryl Herron, Pathogen Diagnostics and Collections team Lead at the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science (BSI, formerly Scion).
As always, feedback on the newsletter content and format is welcome, especially while I’m trying something new! Simply hit reply to this email or vote on the poll at the bottom of the email.
Discovering Diagnostics
Darryl’s journey in plant pathology began almost by chance. During his honours year at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, his supervisor nudged him to take on a technician role in a diagnostics lab. Financial necessity first inspired the move, but Darryl quickly found value beyond the extra income.
“I had tuition paid for and I had a small stipend in my honours, but there were opportunities that the institute was creating for students to get some work experience and you could get paid a top-up,”
He was fortunate to work at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), where additional student roles were common.
The diagnostic lab wasn’t just another student job. It exposed Darryl to a wide range of forest health issues, giving him a hands-on understanding of the work that academics and industry needed.
“I’d enjoyed diagnostics and I enjoyed working on other organisms as well. So not just what my actual postgraduate studies were focused on…but I got to work with other forest health issues which were not only important in South Africa but elsewhere in the world,”
This early step quickly laid the foundation for a defining skill set in his career.
Making Side Work Count
As Darryl moved from his honours to a master’s, then a PhD, the diagnostics work became more than a side gig. The diagnostic service of the Tree Protection Cooperative Programme (TPCP) at FABI served South Africa’s forestry industry, an unusually high-volume situation for a university-run clinic.
“Starting off early, kind of half my time basically was spent in diagnostics. We got the funding to do it, and we had that volume as well, which was really good to support our roles.”
The practical experience paid off in unexpected ways. When both his lab boss and the principal investigator moved on, Darryl’s years of hands-on work made him the natural successor for management.
“Some students that were much quicker with their degrees would come in, do it for a couple of years, get their degrees, graduate and leave. I managed to stay on for quite a while. That opportunity to step up as manager happened only in my PhD, and only because I had those many years behind me.”
For Darryl, experience gained was as valuable as any qualification.
Managing Work, Study, and Life
Balancing part-time diagnostics, a field extension officer position, and a PhD was never easy.
“I don’t think I was managing well,” Darryl says with a laugh. “It did move things slower. It often meant that my PhD was taking the back seat because it wasn’t the priority. Being able to do the jobs that I was getting paid a salary for was the priority.”
The deadline for reporting to a client, engaging regularly with foresters in the field, or training new students always felt more pressing than the eventual end date of Darryl’s PhD. He wanted to make a good impression for the lab, the programme, and for himself as a professional who might end up elsewhere.
Yet those years gave him a breadth of experience that few students acquire at university. The diagnostic work kept him moving from field to lab, and from practical problem-solving with industry to managing students and training new technicians.
“What it meant was that I became more senior, able to do more things on my own. I was helping train and supervise others, understanding the operation as a whole. It helped me see behind the curtain, so to speak, and I was able to understand how things worked at a management and strategic level, not just as a student.”
Finding a Voice and Network
Darryl’s growing skills found another outlet when he took an interest in science communication. A co-adviser who regularly wrote articles for The Conversation inspired him to try his hand at public science writing.
“I started a blog, because I saw the value of communication,” Darryl says. “I had a supervisor who was always putting out articles that normal people could understand. I thought, why not give it a go?”
His decision to enter the FameLab competition, a science communication challenge requiring researchers to explain their work to non-specialists, marked another important development.
“If you took part, they gave you free training and there was a big science communication network. Teachers, journalists, professors. So I kept coming back to it.”
Darryl competed three times, reaching national finals and learning to sustain audience interest.
“Even if you don’t want to be a science communicator, there are skills there you’ll learn. Talking to funders, talking to foresters, talking to nurserymen. These kind of skills all help you in other parts of the job you don’t realise,”
These communication skills have been invaluable throughout his career.
Landing in New Zealand
Darryl’s move to New Zealand happened less by design than by opportunity. He wasn’t job hunting when a colleague urged him to apply for a role at Scion, now the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science.
“I wasn’t actually looking for a job. But a friend of mine from FABI said, ‘They’re still looking, you have the right skill set, why not?’”
With COVID complicating the hiring landscape and few candidates available locally, the timing worked out. Darryl saw the application process as a chance to practise, with little pressure but plenty to gain.
“I went into the interview thinking, if I get the job, fantastic, and if I don’t, it’s good experience. There was less pressure on me, I think…it didn’t really matter.”
But he got the job and was suddenly faced with a life-changing decision.
“It was quite challenging to figure out. Am I going to New Zealand or staying in South Africa? There was also worry that if I left and didn’t like it, I couldn’t get back. But at some point, you’ve got to take a risk.”
From Remote to Team Lead
Darryl began his new job with Scion mid-pandemic and couldn’t relocate immediately. Instead, he worked remotely from South Africa as a research associate, gradually immersing himself in a new diagnostic system.
“Most of the work I ended up doing was desktop stuff. I was learning the system, learning their diagnostic process, the database, sample tracking, and reporting.”
Darryl split his time. Still working for the University of Pretoria, wrapping up his PhD, and logging in part-time to Scion.
An organisational restructure led to Darryl’s promotion to team lead in pathogen diagnostics and collections after he moved to Rotorua. This new position called on every bit of his accumulated expertise:
“Taking on leadership, project management, and proposal writing, all that experience from managing students to hands-on lab diagnostics. Suddenly it all came together. I think that was only possible because I embraced opportunities outside of my degree.”
Skills Beyond the Lab
From his vantage point as leader of Scion’s diagnostics program, Darryl sees both opportunity and challenge in plant pathology. Finding and retaining skilled people remains difficult.
“We need people to come in, really get up to speed quite quickly. We can’t really train them on the job. They have to be at a level where they’re starting to write their own proposals, bringing in revenue. It was tough to find people. A PhD doesn’t really separate you anymore from the rest of your peers. You need to be doing something a bit more.”
He says that university programs could do more to raise awareness and prepare students for careers outside academia.
“At school visits, you realise kids don’t even know plants get sick, let alone that you could build a career around finding out why.”
Experience, Not Just Speed. The Value of a Winding Path
Darryl’s PhD took longer than most. Eleven years from start to finish. But he doesn’t see this as a disadvantage.
“I don’t think anybody’s looking at the time it took me to do my PhD. They’re just like, you’ve got one, it’s fine. It’s not any less valuable than somebody who did it in four or three years.”
Each setback or delay built more experience, giving him skills that proved critical later on.
He wants students to embrace a non-linear approach.
“Every individual’s PhD journey is unique, and it’s important not to feel discouraged if it deviates from initial expectations or takes longer than anticipated. Skills and education gained are never wasted, even if not immediately applicable, as they often prove useful later in unforeseen ways. Don’t be afraid if it’s not a straight line.”
Mentorship and Communication Going Forward
Now settled in New Zealand, Darryl leads a team and mentors early-career researchers, co-edits BSI’s Forest Protection newsletter, and is looking to revive personal science communication projects like his blog. The newsletter is called Forest Health News (from the old forest protection group).
“I’m trying to go into the science communication stuff again. Trying to write more, trying to draw, trying to think about what I want to do in terms of the side hustle.”
He is committed to supporting others. For Darryl, giving back to the community is as important as technical achievement, and his door remains open for plant pathology’s next generation.
“I’m happy to be contacted by people interested in career pathways, diagnostics, and science communication. These experiences are worth sharing, and you never know how you might help someone find their own unique path.”
Make sure to contact Darryl if you have questions about his career pathway or if you're interested in networking or collaborations.
Watch the full interview with Darryl on YouTube 👇
THAT’S A WRAP
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