91原创

Carro wasn鈥檛 born into agriculture; she grew up in New York City, about as far from the farm as you can get. Her passion for agriculture grew through involvement with Sigma Alpha, a professional agricultural sorority at 91原创. She considers the sorority鈥檚 advisor, Pat Barber, a retired associate professor and former associate dean of Cooperative Extension, as a mentor.

Another of Carro鈥檚 mentors is Lesa (Griffiths) Massarotti, a professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, who taught Carro鈥檚 very first class at 91原创.

鈥淔or somebody like me who came in and didn't really understand how the University platform worked, having Lesa as an instructor and a mentor was invaluable,鈥� Carro said. 鈥淪he empowered me to identify my own career path.鈥澛�

In the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Carro also developed a passion for laboratory work.

鈥淭he opportunity to work in a lab, which I don鈥檛 think I would have had at other universities as an undergraduate, really helped me make the decision to move into a master鈥檚 program,鈥� Carro said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have people in my immediate circle who understood bachelor鈥檚 versus master鈥檚 versus doctoral programs, so it was really nice to get that exposure so early on.鈥�

That hands-on experience led Carro to pursue a master鈥檚 degree at 91原创 after mentor Bill Saylor, 91原创 professor emeritus, planted the idea in her mind.

鈥淚 remember Professor Saylor saying to me, 鈥業f you鈥檙e interested in research, you could go to graduate school,鈥� which wasn't even on my radar until he encouraged it,鈥� Carro said.

During her graduate studies, Carro worked with scientists at DuPont, under Saylor鈥檚 guidance. The work informed her graduate thesis.

Carro developed an interest in environmental toxicology, the study of how toxins impact organisms in the environment. She worked for the U.S. Government, completing avian risk assessments at a Superfund site, a location contaminated with hazardous materials and requiring a long-term response.

鈥淭hose projects taught me, really fast, how important it is to collaborate in science,鈥� Carro said. 鈥淭here's not much that can be achieved without working across disciplines.鈥�

Collaboration is key to Carro鈥檚 role as director of global regulatory sciences at FMC Corporation. FMC provides internships to Blue Hens, employs many 91原创 alumni and supports 91原创 Ag Day. At FMC, Carro oversees a team of 50 scientists, including experts in computational modeling, metabolism and residue chemistry, environmental fate chemistry, toxicology and other fields.

鈥淭he purpose of the team is to support FMC鈥檚 portfolio of plant protection products across both our synthetic chemistry and our plant health platforms to enable authorities like the Environmental Protection Agency to support decisions of safety to humans and safety to the environment,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat allows us to obtain registrations for our products.鈥�

Her team鈥檚 research supports the FMC portfolio, including products registered in nearly 140 countries.

Carro values an interdisciplinary approach to solutions. She says having a growth mindset and being willing to collaborate are keys to success.

鈥淲hen I was an ecotoxicologist, I couldn鈥檛 complete my responsibilities without understanding what鈥檚 happening in the environment, in exposure simulations and across risk assessment,鈥� Carro said. 鈥淓verything we do as scientists is interdisciplinary.鈥�

Carro sees her work aligning with the CANR mission to feed the world and protect the planet. She points out that although the human population is growing, farmland is a finite resource.

鈥淭o manage that, we need industries like the one I'm in to be creative and sustainable, and to be good stewards,鈥� Carro said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I find rewarding about the role that I鈥檓 in now.鈥�

Carro feels lucky to have had great mentors and wants to offer those same opportunities to women and underrepresented communities in STEM. She participates in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and, through FMC鈥檚 outreach efforts, volunteers at career day events and mentorship programs.

The STEM fields have a profound impact on every aspect of our lives, and increasing diversity in STEM can lead to further scientific innovation. A shows that diverse teams lead to more effective problem-solving. Perhaps the first step in building those diverse teams, Carro said, is to support the success of first-generation college students, 50% of whom are students of color.