Professional Appointments
2010 – present: Professor, Dept. of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Iowa State University
2008 – present: Chair, Graduate Program in Seed Technology & Business, Iowa State University
2006– 2010: Associate Professor and Seed Science Endowed Chair, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Iowa State University
2003 – 2006: Research Coordinator, Pathology, Entomology, & Seed Science, Pioneer Hi‐Bred Int., Inc.
1993 – 2002: Assistant and Associate Professor; Extension Plant Pathologist, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Iowa State University
Synergistic Activities
1. Chair, ISU Graduate Program in Seed Technology and Business (2008‐), and Director for Graduate Education, ISU Dept. of Plant Pathology (2007‐); Chair, ISU Toxicology Graduate Program (2000‐2002)
2. I am Co‐director for the Administrative Unit of the U.S. National Seed Health System, a collaborative public‐private program whose mission is to facilitate U.S. seed exports through research, method standardization, and accreditation related to phytosanitary testing and inspection procedures.
3. I worked as Research Coordinator for Pathology, Entomology, and Seed Science at Pioneer Hi‐Bred, Int., Inc., from 2003‐2006, leading a global team whose mission was to improve maize germplasm for seed quality traits, and for resistance to diseases and insects.
Collaborators and Affiliations
Affiliated with the following ISU centers and institutes: Seed Science Center, Interdepartmental Toxicology Graduate Program, Graduate Microbiology Program, Seed Technology and Business Graduate Program, Center for Crops Utilization Research, Plant Sciences Institute, Bioeconomy Institute, Biosafety Institute for Genetically Modified Agricultural Products.
Important collaborators include Dr. Richard Hellmich and Dr. Robert Proctor (USDA‐ARS), Dr. Felicia Wu (Pittsburgh University), Dr. Anthony Pometto III (Clemson University), Dr. Antonio Logrieco and Dr. Antonio Moretti (National Research Council – Italy).
Mentoring
I have advised more than 30 M.S. and 7 Ph.D. students as major professor, and I have served on student committees for approximately 50 additional students majoring in Plant Pathology, Toxicology, Entomology, Seed Technology and Business, Crop Physiology, Microbiology, Food Science, or Agronomy.
I also have mentored four Postdoctoral Research Associates and hosted six Visiting Scientists and four visiting students.