2015 brought several notable changes in our department: Terry Niblack is now the acting senior associate dean for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (read more). She just finished her first 4-year term as department chair. Larry Madden is now the department’s acting chair, and Guo-Liang Wang is acting associate chair. The administrative changes were made after Bruce McPheron, the CFAES dean and vice president for agricultural administration, was named interim executive vice president and provost for the university (read more). Ron Hendrick is acting dean and vice president for agricultural administration.
- Steve Slack, who is tenured in our department, was honored at a retirement reception on the Wooster campus. Slack served as the director of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) for 16 years: He was recently honored with induction into the USDA-NIFA Hall of Fame for his contributions to the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the land-grant university system. > Read more
- Mike Boehm, our former department chair (and Ph.D. graduate), is vice provost for academic and strategic planning in the university, where he has served since 2010 > Read more
- Sally Miller is the 2015-2016 president of the American Phytopathological Society (APS). She joins a distinguished line of APS presidents from Ohio State, starting with A.D. Selby, who was a charter member of APS and the third president (1911), and in more recent years: Randy Rowe (1993), Larry Madden (1997), Steve Slack (2001) and Mike Boehm (2013). You can follow Sally Miller on the APS President Blog > www.apsnet.org > Science to Practice.
- Ye (Summer) Xia joined the faculty as assistant professor, biochemistry of plant pathogenesis and immunity. Xia’s research encompasses the biochemical, genetic, and molecular mechanisms of plant disease resistance and beneficial plant-microbe/microbiome interactions (read more). She has the faculty slot previously held by Terry Graham, who retired in 2012 and is now professor emeritus with the department.
- Monica Lewandowski assumed the position of assistant professor, clinical professional practice, with responsibilities in teaching and academic programs. Prior to her faculty appointment, she has worked with undergraduate and graduate programs as the department’s academic program coordinator since 2007. > Read more
- Melanie Lewis Ivey will join the faculty as fruit crop pathologist in 2016. Ivey, who will establish a research, teaching and Extension program in Wooster, is currently an assistant professor at Louisiana State University (LSU). She graduated with a PhD from our department in 2011. She worked in Sally Miller's laboratory from 1999-2012, and was a research scientist in the department in Wooster from 2012-2013 prior to moving to LSU.
- Brian McSpadden Gardener left the university in early 2015 to pursue a job in industry (> farewell reception). He maintains his ties with the faculty as adjunct professor.
- Thomas K. Mitchell, associate professor, was awarded a North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Educator Award in 2015. Mitchell has also accepted a temporary, part-time assignment in the Graduate School as a faculty fellow to be involved in graduate program assessment.
- In addition to his professorship at OSU, Guo-Liang Wang continues to lead a research program at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in Beijing.
You can view the latest news from our faculty, staff and graduate students on their website profiles > plantpath.osu.edu/our-people