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Alejandro P Rooney (Alex)

Laboratory Director

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CONTACT

Phone: (806) 749-5560

Fax: (806) 723-5272

 

 

USDA ARS PA CSRL

3810 4th Street

Lubbock, TX 79415

EDUCATION

PhD, Genetics

  Texas A&M University, 1998

BS, Biology

  University of Cincinnati, 1994

AREA OF EXPERTISE
Microbial systematics, taxonomy and evolutionary biology; molecular evolution; discovery and development of living microbial biological control agents for use against arthropod vectors of disease and plant pathogens.

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LAB MEMBERS / SUPPORT STAFF / VISITING SCIENTISTS

Current:

                   Lina Flor-Weiler, PhD (Entomologist)

                  Miho Yoshioka, MS (Biological Science Laboratory Technician)

         Visiting Scientist

                  Hee-Young Jung, PhD (Kyungpook University, South Korea), 2018-present

         Undergraduate Students

                 Kristina Dutart (Ohio State University), 2018-present

Alumni:

   Visiting Scientists

            Alessandro Airo, Stanford University, 2004.

            Soo-Jin Kim, Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (National Academy of Agricultural Science), 2013 - 2014 

   Master's Students

            April Harlan, Mississippi State University, 2000 - 2002

            Jason Sumners, Mississippi State University, 2000 - 2002 

   Undergraduate Students

            Paul Holze, University of Illinois, 2003 - 2004

            Tabitha Williams, Western Illinois University, 2006

            Marley Brimberry, Indiana University, 2014

            Kirsten Zeman, Bradley University, 2014 - 2017

    Doctoral dissertations externally reviewed

           Jose-Maria E?rin-Lopez, University of A Coruna (Spain), 2005

           Tamara M. Sirey, University of Auckland (New Zealand), 2006

EDITORIAL BOARDS:

Plant Gene, Editor-in-Chief, 2014 - present

Gene, Executive Editor, 2013 - present

International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Assoc. Editor, 2013 - present

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution: Phylogenetics, Phylogenomics, and Systematics, Assoc. Editor, 2013 - present

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution: Evolutionary and Population Genetics, Editorial Board, 2011 - present

Gene, Assoc. Editor, 2010 - 2013

Current Microbiology, Assoc. Editor, 2009 - 2013

PROFESSIONAL CONSULTATION ACTIVITIES:

USDA representative, Scientific Collections International (SciColl), Food Security Research Advisory Group, 2013 - present.

USDA representative, Federal Experts Security Advisory Panel, Select Agent Regulatory Changes Working Group, 2014

External scientific reviewer, Canadian Domestic Substances List (living organisms), Safe Environments Directorate, Health Canada (Government of Canada), 2014.

USDA representative, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy working group to establish guidelines for strain exchange among U.S. federal agencies working in biodefense and bioforensics, 2011.

Consultant, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Amerithrax Investigation, 2003 - 2010.

Consultant, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, genomics of Rhizopus, 2010.

Member, American Type Culture Collection Standards Working Group, 2009 - 2010.

Consultant, California Almond Board, establishment of guidelines for the use of bacterial thermal validation strain surrogates for foodborne pathogens in food processing production lines and testing facilities, 2008 - 2009.

Consultant, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the establishment of guidelines for the identification and subtyping of Aspergillus fumigatus, 2008.

Consultant, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), microbial diversity, long-term preservation, and curation, 2004 - 2007.

Consultant, U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventative Medicine, bacterial species identification, 2003 - 2005.

Consultant to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Kennedy Space Center), microbial diversity, species identification, and long-term preservation, 2004.

United States Delegate, Scientific Committee, International Whaling Commission, 1998 - 2002.

Publications Indexed by Scopus

Click here to view Scopus entries for Alejandro Rooney

(The Scopus results may not reflect a complete or accurate listing for this scientist).

  • No projects listed for this employee.

HONORS AND AWARDS

President's Volunteer Service Award (Gold Level), 2013. Awarded for outstanding community service.

Extra Effort Award, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 2010. Awarded for exceeding performance expectations while serving on special detail.

Gene, Top Reviewer Award, 2010. Awarded for meritorious service to the journal Gene.

Early Career Research Scientist of the Year. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Midwest Area, 2008. Awarded for research accomplishments on the systematics and population genetics of public health and biodefense microorganisms

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Certificate of Merit. 2008. Awarded for research accomplishments resulting in the development of novel subtyping methods for the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus and candidate for the Charles C. Shepard Science Award (Laboratory and Methods).

The Wildlife Society, Outstanding Article of the Year, 2004. Awarded for research on the population genetics of translocated deer populations.

Journal of Molecular Evolution, Zuckerkandl Prize (Best Paper of the Year), 2003. Awarded for research on the molecular evolution of snake venom protein multigene families.

Mississippi State University, Office of the Vice President for Research, Faculty Research Award, 2001. Awarded for faculty research achievement.

Texas A&M University, Faculty of Genetics, Graduate Student Research Award, 1996. Awarded for student research achievement.

Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Graduate Student Research Award, College of Veterinary Medicine, 1995. Awarded for student research achievement.

Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Graduate Student Presentation Award, 1995. Awarded for best oral presentation.