Mugehu completed her undergraduate degree in agronomy and her master’s in plant breeding at Midlands State University in Zimbabwe. She received a Fulbright Hubert Humphrey Fellowship that enabled her to pursue academic study and professional development at Cornell University in New York.
Mugehu chose to undertake her PhD at UKZN, supervised by Shimelis, to contribute a diverse and international perspective to her academic experience thanks to the University’s staff complement of experienced plant science researchers.
She described the University as an inclusive, supportive environment that offers a sense of belonging.
Mugehu is driven to integrate classical breeding techniques with biotechnological innovation to improve small and large-scale crop production. She hopes her PhD research will contribute to the profitability of sugarcane farmers in sub-Saharan Africa through pre-breeding for abiotic and biotic stresses hindering sugarcane production.
She said that the evaluation of agronomic potential, identification of positive genes using molecular marker-assisted selection, and the subsequent acceleration of cultivar production equips farmers with climate-resilient cultivars that can withstand prevailing environmental stresses.
Following her PhD, Mugehu plans to chart a career in research and industry, applying her academic and professional experience to identify market and industry needs, and ultimately ensure product adoption.