News Release

MADISON, WI, OCTOBER 1, 2009–The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) will recognize the following individuals at the 2009 Awards Ceremony on Nov. 3 during their Annual Meetings in Pittsburgh, PA, www.acsmeetings.org. The annual awards are presented for outstanding contributions to crop science through education, national and international service, and research.

• B. Todd Campbell, USDA-ARS, Florence, SC. – ASA–CSSA–SSSA Early Career Professional Award. B. Todd Campbell is a research geneticist at the USDA-ARS Coastal Plains Research Center, Florence, SC. He received a B.S. from North Carolina State University, and M.S. and Ph.D. from University of Nebraska. His program combines traditional breeding and molecular tools to enhance cotton production. Dr. Campbell serves as an associate editor for Crop Science, member of the cotton germplasm registration committee, and member of the cotton germplasm and national cotton variety testing committees. The Early Career Professional Award recognizes early career members who have made an outstanding contribution in agronomy, crop science, and/or soil science within seven years of completing their final degree.

• José F. M. Valls, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation/Embrapa – Frank N. Meyer Medal for Plant Genetic Resources.José F. M. Valls is a scientist in the GeneticResources & BiotechnologyResearch Center at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation/Embrapa. Dr. Valls received a B.S. and M.S. in agronomy from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and a Ph.D. in range science from Texas A&M University. His program focuses mainly on the collection, conservation, and characterization of forage grass and wild peanut germplasm. He also serves as a Graduate Student Advisor at several Brazilian Universities.

• Ted Crosbie, Monsanto Co. – NCCPB Genetics and Plant Breeding Award for Industry. Ted Crosbie is vice president of Global Plant Breeding Division of the Monsanto Agricultural Sector. He received a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Iowa State University. In his current role, Dr. Crosbie is responsible for seven crops worldwide. In January 2002, Crosbie was named a Distinguished Fellow in Science in recognition of his broad strategic impact in Monsanto through scientific leadership.

• Philippe Seguin, McGill University – Young Crop Scientist Award. Philippe Seguin is an associate professor and chair of the Plant Science Department at McGill University. He received a B.S. and M.S. from McGill University and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on the impact of management and environmental factors on crop quality. Dr. Seguin is responsible for the cultivar evaluation program of several crops in southwestern Québec. He serves as senior associate editor for Agronomy Journal and associate editor for Canadian Journal of Plant Science. This award is designed to recognize a scientist who has made an outstanding contribution in any area of crop science by the age of 37. Specifically, the recipient is cited for teaching abilities, effectiveness in extension and service activities, significance and originality of basic and applied research, and effectiveness in administrative areas.

• Thomas L. Watschke, Penn State – Fred V. Grau Turfgrass Science Award. Thomas L. (Tom) Watschke is a professor emeritus of turfgrass science in the Crop and Soil Sciences Department at Penn State. He received a B.S. from Iowa State University and a M.S. and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. His research focused on weed control, plant growth regulation, and water quality issues related to fertilizer and pest management inputs to turfgrass management systems. Before his retirement, Dr. Watschke taught nine courses in Penn State’s turfgrass programs. The Fred V. Grau Turfgrass Science Award is supported by a fund developed by Division C-5 Turfgrass Science. The award is presented in recognition of significant career contributions in turfgrass science.

• Maarten Van Ginkel, ICARDA, Syria – International Service in Crop Science Award. Maarten Van Ginkel is deputy director general for research at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). He previously worked as a wheat breeder at the International Center for the CIMMYT. He received a B.S. and M.S. from Wageningen University, the Netherlands, and Ph.D. from Montana State University. He contributed to breeding more than 100 bread wheat varieties and co-authored more than 70 refereed journal articles. VanGinkel will also be inducted as a CSSA Fellow at the 2009 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting.
  
  
• Micheal D.K. Owen, Iowa State University – Crop Science Extension Education Award.Micheal D.K. Owen is associate chair, professor of agronomy, and weed management extension specialist in the Agronomy Department at Iowa State University. Dr. Owen is also adjunct professor at Escuela Agricola Panamericana, Honduras. He received a B.S. and M.S. from Iowa State and Ph.D. degree from University of Illinois. His program focuses on corn and soybean, specifically weed ecology. He served as Weed Science associate editor, and is active in the Weed Science Society.

• Randy C. Shoemaker, USDA-ARS, Ames, IA. – Crop Science Research Award.Randy C. Shoemaker is a research geneticist with the USDA-ARS and an adjunct professor in the Department of Agronomy at Iowa State University. He received a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Wisconsin system, and a Ph.D. from Iowa State. His research program focuses on legume genomics and bioinformatics. Dr. Shoemaker was the C-7 representative for the CSSA Board of Directors. He has also served as associate editor for Crop Science andwas the founding technical editor for The Plant Genome.

• Schuyler S. Korban, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – Crop Science Teaching Award. Schuyler S. Korban is a professor of molecular genetics and biotechnology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He received a B.S. and M.S. from the American University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska. His teaching and research programs are in the areas of functional genomics, biotechnology, biotic stress, reproductive growth, and metabolic engineering. Dr. Korban holds leadership roles with numerous publications, including serving as Editor-in-Chief of Plant Molecular Biology Reporter and associate editor for The Plant Genome. He is also active in many professional and academic organizations.

• Henry Thompson, Colorado State University – CSSA Honorary Membership. Henry J. Thompson is a professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences and director of the Cancer Prevention Laboratory at Colorado State University. He received a Ph.D. from Rutgers University in nutritional sciences with an emphasis in biochemistry. Thompson is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society for Nutritional Sciences. His current research deals with investigations of the health benefits of staple and specialty food crops.

• James L. Brewbaker, University of Hawaii – Seed Science Award.James L. Brewbaker has served as a plant breeder and geneticist for the University of Hawaii Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Science since 1962. He received a Ph.D. from Cornell University in plant breeding and has served as a visiting scientist in nine countries. His research is on the genetic improvement of tropical crops, with a focus on maize and tropical leguminous trees. He also founded Hawaii’s Crop Improvement Association and Hawaii Foundation Seeds, where he serves as director.

• Gebisa Ejeta, Purdue University – CSSA Presidential Award.Gebisa Ejeta’s personal journey would lead him from a childhood in a one-room thatched hut in rural Ethiopia to scientific acclaim as a distinguished professor, plant breeder, and geneticist at Purdue University. Dr. Ejeta is the recipient of the 2009 World Food Prize for his contributions in the production of sorghum, which have dramatically enhanced the food supply for millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. His scientific breakthroughs in breeding drought-tolerant and Striga-resistant sorghum have combined with his persistent efforts to foster economic development and the empowerment of subsistence farmers through the creation of agricultural enterprises in rural Africa. In addition to receiving the CSSA Presidential Award, Ejeta will also present the E.T. & Vam York Distinguished ASA Lectureship at the 2009 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting.

• Lea Shanley – ASA-CSSA-SSA Congressional Science Fellow. Lea Shanley works in the office of Senator Bill Nelsons (D-Florida) where she serves as the resident expert on scientific and technical issues. Shanley is a recent Ph.D. graduate (2008) from the University of Wisconsin. She is a broadly-trained professional who blends policy and inter-agency coordination experience with in-depth knowledge of geographic information science (GIScience) and its application to environmental and resource management. Her research efforts and professional activities have focused on the intersection of science and technology, law, and society.

• Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School – Betty Klepper Endowed Lectureship. Calestous Juma is a professor of the practice of international development and directs the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project at Harvard Kennedy School. He holds a Ph.D. in science and technology policy studies (no school listed). His research focuses on the application of science and innovation to sustainable development. Dr. Juma is a former head of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. He has also been elected to several academies including the Royal Society of London, the US National Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World. He has been selected to present the Betty Klepper Endowed Lectureship at the 2009 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting.

• Robert J. Hijmans, University of California-Davis – Calvin Sperling Biodiversity Memorial Lectureship.Robert Hijmans is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California-Davis. Dr. Hijmans received a M.S. and Ph.D. from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. His program focuses mainly on modeling of the spatial and temporal dynamics of natural and cultivated biodiversity, agricultural geography and development, and spatial informatics.He has been selected to present the Calvin Sperling Biodiversity Memorial Lectureship at the 2009 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting.