Hava Delavar is a PhD candidate in Plant Sciences at North Dakota State University (NDSU), specializing in plant genetics and breeding. She holds an M.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering (Plant Breeding) from the University of Shiraz, Iran. Her research focuses on the genetics of cold hardiness in grapevines, using quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and genome-wide association studies to identify genes underlying cold tolerance and other economically important traits, with the goal of advancing sustainable, cold-climate viticulture. She contributed to the development of two U.S.-patented, university-released wine grape cultivars, Dakota Primus and Radiant, bred for resilience under northern growing conditions. Her work is conducted as part of the USDA-NIFA-funded VitisGen3 Specialty Crop Research Initiative. She has authored or co-authored 14 peer-reviewed publications, with over 150 citations, and has served as a peer reviewer for more than 90 manuscripts across journals including Frontiers in Plant Science, Scientific Reports, and Agronomy. She holds a Big Data Applied Statistical Analysis Certificate from NDSU and led training sessions for plant breeders on digital data collection in breeding trials. She is a Membership Committee Member for the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (national and Eastern Section), and has served as an official judge for ND FFA events. She has also instructed workshops on DNA extraction and tissue culture techniques.