Dr. Sebastian Saa is the associate director of agricultural research for the Almond Board of California. He focuses on developing and implementing strategic research plans for ABC and serves as a staff liaison for the Almond Production Stewardship Workgroup, where he analyzes priorities around sustainability, harvest, pest management, irrigation, pomology and nutrients.

Before joining ABC, Sebastian was a professor of deciduous fruit trees at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso in Chile and a project scientist at UC Davis. Sebastian earned a Ph.D. in horticulture and agronomy at UCD, where he developed guidelines for best nitrogen management practices in almonds that allow growers to be more sustainable, provide adequate nutrients to their trees, and adhere to California regulations. Sebastian has also done significant work to better understand the main horticultural factors that affect the productivity of almonds, walnuts and cherry trees.

Sebastian’s is a third-generation table grape grower in Chile where he grew up, and the combination of his farming background and technical expertise allows him to help ABC bridge the California almond industry’s needs with a range of scientific researchers.

He is also an accomplished amateur magician. Sebastian has been fascinated with the art of illusion, card tricks and hand manipulations since he was a young teenager and spent many years developing his hand dexterity and showmanship. Sebastian has performed magic shows for local events in the U.S. and Chile, and in 2010, he won the Sacramento IBM Close-Up Competition. When he’s not making things appear or disappear, he enjoys hiking, tennis, golf and skiing with friends and family.