Rick Jellen is a professor of genetics in the Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences. He graduated from BYU in agronomy. He also completed a doctorate in plant breeding from the University of Minnesota. Jellen worked at Kansas State University for four years before moving to BYU in 1996. He has taught classes in genetics, biology, plant sciences, religion, the Honors Program and agricultural development. He has also served as department chair and associate dean and been involved with first-year experience programs.
His research focus is on genetic effects of chromosome rearrangements in oats and quinoa and extends to applications in neodomestication of a Moroccan high-protein oat and adaptive breeding of quinoa in the lowland tropics and subtropics.