Dr. Joe Sowokinos is a retired professor from the Horticultural Science Department at the University of Minnesota after a long and distinguished career serving the potato industry.

Dr. Sowokinos conducted research involving metabolic regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in the potato tubers. In the potato industry he is best known for cloning the anti-sweetening gene (designated UgpA) from the potato cultivar "Snowden". He has published over 70 scientific articles and several chapters on the regulation of carbon partitioning in tubers.

Dr. Sowokinos worked at the USDA Worksite in East Grand Forks, Minnesota since 1969.

Joe was born on a small farm in Nebraska, close to St. Edward. He graduated from Wayned State University in Nebraska and earned his MSc and PhD in biochemistry at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine in 1969 and be became a research assistant at the Horticulture Science Department at the University of Minnesota. In 1973 he became an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota and in 1983 a full professor.

Joe and his wife Janice were married in Grand Forks, ND in 1980 where they reside today. They have two sons, Douglas and Frank.