Rate My Professor Jean Dodson Peterson

Jean Dodson Peterson serves as the Founding Chair and Professor of Viticulture in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at Washington State University, where she is based at the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center in the Tri-Cities. She assumed this role in fall 2022, leading the development of a student-centered department focused on excellence in education, research, and extension. Prior to WSU, Peterson was a tenured Associate Professor of Viticulture at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, holding joint appointments in the Wine and Viticulture and Horticulture and Crop Science departments since 2014. There, she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in viticulture, research, and thesis writing, and held leadership positions including Curriculum Chair, Academic Scheduler, Academic Senator, Vineyard Redevelopment Coordinator, and Faculty Vineyard Liaison. She earned her Ph.D. in Horticulture and Agronomy (Viticulture) from the University of California, Davis in 2014, M.S. in the same field in 2012, and B.S. in Viticulture and Enology with a minor in Managerial Economics in 2009.

Peterson's research program centers on grapevine physiology and production, with emphasis on rootstock-scion interactions, rootstock selection, and the environmental and management factors influencing vine performance, fruit composition, and vineyard sustainability. Her work addresses climate change impacts, optimal plant material selection, water use efficiency, and adaptive vineyard practices. At WSU, she drives curriculum redesign, expansion of teaching and research vineyards, winery technology upgrades, graduate program development, experiential learning opportunities, and student support services. She fosters strategic partnerships with the wine and grape industry, including a recent collaboration with a Moldovan university, and ensures student internships and career placements. Peterson has been recognized with the ACUE Certificate in Effective College Instruction (2021), Panhellenic Award for Excellence in Education, two Terrance Harris Awards for Excellence in Mentorship, and selection as a Wine Enthusiast Future 40 Tastemaker in 2024. She co-authored the book Grape Rootstocks and Related Species and maintains an active scholarly output.