Over the course of his successful career, Dr Simon has published over 200 papers, trained more than 30 PhD students, and won a multitude of prestigious awards, including an Honorary Doctorate from the Agricultural University of Krakow, Poland, and the National Association of Plant Breeders Lifetime Achievement Award. His research in vegetable genetics and breeding focuses on fresh market carrot improvement, targeting improved flavor and nutritional quality, nematode, disease and abiotic stress resistance, and genetic mapping.