An official website of the United States government
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
David L. Suarez, a veterinary medical officer and laboratory director at the ARS’s Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research Unit in Athens, Georgia, is being honored for outstanding and sustained research on avian influenza, Newcastle disease, and emerging exotic diseases in poultry. His research led to the development and implementation of rapid molecular diagnostic tests for AIV and NDV in poultry. These diagnostic tests helped with eradication efforts.
George F. Fanta, a research chemist at the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research's Plant Polymer Research Unit in Peoria, Illinois, led the development of industrial and consumer-health products derived from agricultural commodities, particularly corn starch and wheat flour. Fanta's scientific creativity also extended to adopting existing procedures to create new biobased products. Most notably, he developed cost-effective steam-jet cooking methods used to create a variety of new and useful functional food properties.
Timothy Smith, a research chemist with the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center's Genetics and Animal Breeding Research Unit in Clay Center, Nebraska, was among the first to shape the direction and evolution of ARS's animal genomics program. As a member of the "Gene Mapping Group," Smith and his colleagues' publication of the first genetic maps of cattle, pigs and sheep won a USDA Secretary's award for excellence in 1994.
Lindsay H. Allen, a research physiologist at the ARS Western Human Nutrition Research Center's Obesity and Metabolism Research unit in Davis, California, is being honored for outstanding and sustained contributions leading to a better understanding of micronutrient deficiencies, particularly vitamin B12 which is only available from animal food sources. In some instances, Allen's findings reversed long-held scientific dogma. In the case of vitamin B12, for example, her research showed that a deficiency of this micronutrient isn't solely limited to strict vegetarians, but is also widespread in men, women and children who consume inadequate amounts of animal-source foods such as fish, meat, poultry milk and eggs. This deficiency also extends to low-income population groups.
Terry Isbell, a retired chemist from the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research's Bio-Oils Research unit in Peoria, Illinois, is being recognized for his leadership in the conception, design and execution of research to develop an array of products derived from crop commodities such as vegetable oil rather than nonrenewable sources such as petroleum. In particular, Isbell's research set the stage for the commercialization of estolides, a class of bio-synthetic oils with numerous uses in lubricant, automotive, marine and personal-care applications.
William Kustas, a hydrologist at the ARS Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, is being honored for scientific accomplishments that include using satellite data with computer models for mapping evapotranspiration (ET)—the process of plant water use through transpiration and water loss or evaporation from the soil. In addition to monitoring ET, plant stress and drought, other applications of the models arising from Kustas, and colleagues' pioneering research include precise targeting of irrigation water to crops, including the vineyards of E&J Gallo Winery in California's Central Valley. There, as part of the Grape Remote-sensing Atmospheric Profile and Evapotranspiration eXperiment (GRAPEX), Kustas and collaborators from NASA, Utah State University, University of California-Davis and Gallo are helping the winery better track soil and vine moisture levels with a view to reducing irrigation water use by up to 25 percent.
Chad Finn's accomplishments include the development and release or co-release of more than 57 blackberry, raspberry, blueberry and strawberry varieties, some of which have become industry standards generating more than $450 million in fruit and plant sales over the past 10 years. Finn's research endeavors have led to a small-fruits germplasm program that's considered among the world's most diverse and extensive, spanning several genera of plants including Rubus, Fragaria, Vaccinium and Actinidia. His discoveries provide a greater understanding and characterization of wild species in these genera as well as their importance as novel sources of genetic variability and useful traits such as aphid resistance and fruit processing quality.
David Swayne is widely recognized as an international expert on avian influenza (AI), as a key player in controlling outbreaks of the virus, finding better ways to identify emerging strains of it, including strains resistant to traditional vaccines, and in using new technologies to develop, test and license effective replacement vaccines. He also discovered a pathway to prevent AI virus exposure during village poultry processing that has curbed human infections in developing countries and has served as an advisor to international trade panels, and as a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as to the WHO (on zoonotic AI), and to the World Organization for Animal Health (on AI control in poultry and wild birds).
Paul M. VanRadan is a highly recognized international expert on the genetic and genomic evaluation of dairy cattle and computer analysis of large data sets. In a collaborative effort between ARS, universities, animal breeding companies, breed associations, and the biotechnology industry, VanRaden developed the genomic evaluation methods that have replaced traditional U.S. evaluations for dairy cattle. These evaluation methods are now being used in other national and international evaluations.
Joan K. Lunney, a supervisory research scientist at the ARS Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, is an internationally recognized expert in swine immunology, genomics and the genetics of resistance to infectious diseases. Lunney's early research uncovered novel immune mechanisms by which swine resist the most important zoonotic foodborne parasites (Trichinella spiralis and Toxoplasma gondii). Recently, she has focused on porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), the most economically important viral disease of pigs worldwide. She also co-leads the PRRS Host Genetics Consortium, which has identified genes associated with improved growth and resistance to PRRS. Lunney and her team developed molecular reagents that are now essential tools for verifying the efficacy of pig vaccine responses and for probing novel protective immune pathways for future treatments and therapeutics.
Kerry L. O'Donnell, a microbiologist at the ARS Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit in Peoria, Illinois, is internationally recognized for innovative research that helped revolutionize the field of fungal systematics and fundamentally changed how fungi are detected, identified and classified according to their relationships. O'Donnell's pioneering research using DNA sequencing technologies helped usher in a new era of molecular analyses of fungal species diversity and their evolutionary histories. His discovery that the genus Fusarium comprises more than 300 phylogenetically distinct species—far greater than previously thought—made him a leading authority on this large and important group of molds, many of which produce chemicals called mycotoxins that are harmful to humans and other animals.
Carroll P. Vance, a retired ARS supervisory plant physiologist who worked at the agency's Plant Science Research Unit in St. Paul, Minnesota, is an international authority on plant physiology whose research on legumes is helping to ensure agricultural sustainability at a time when population growth is increasing global demand for food. His work has focused on how crops respond to nutrient-deficient soils, legume genomics and symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF), which gives rhizobia bacteria in legumes the ability to form root structures vital to plant development. Vance has made major contributions to increasing the genetic diversity of soybeans, producing 30,000 lines that have been used worldwide and led to many improved varieties. His studies of alfalfa, lupine and common bean have increased our understanding of how they develop, regulate SNF, and respond to nutrient deficiencies common to many soils.
Stephen O. Duke is an internationally recognized expert on weed management and biopesticides, and his research has led to seminal findings on how herbicides work and the potential for using natural products as herbicides. Duke's discoveries have advanced scientific understanding regarding the modes of action of mosquito repellants, antimalarial compounds and natural compounds that control algae, fungi and mollusks. His work also has contributed to private sector efforts focused on using natural compounds in herbicides. His extensive international efforts include recommendations to South American governments on herbicide use that are now being used to reduce cocaine production in Columbia.
Ernest James Harris is an international leader in developing methods for controlling tephritid fruit flies that threaten crops around the world. He played an instrumental role in devising an approach for developing sterile Mediterranean fruit flies in time to control the first invasion into California in the 1970s, and the technique has effectively controlled the pest ever since. He also has worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development to control Medflies in Tunisia and Morocco. Harris also developed innovative techniques for mass rearing a beneficial wasp for use as a biocontrol (Fopius arisamus) that were so successful, they have been used to control fruit flies in Mexico, Africa, Israel, Brazil and several island nations in the South Pacific.
Terry A. Howell is known for his contributions toward saving water by developing strategies for measuring and calculating the precise water needs of a wide variety of crops. His work has also focused on developing irrigation weather networks and theories that can save water by providing daily crop water use data for precise irrigation scheduling. He also has been instrumental in developing advanced sprinkler and pressurized microirrigation systems for efficient water application. His approaches are helping to conserve water in areas with shrinking water supplies and sustaining rural economies by reducing water needs and millions of dollars in pumping costs. They have been particularly effective with a variety of crops in California, Texas, other Southwestern states, and in the Southern and Central Great Plains. Pressurized irrigation systems now cover 65 percent of all of the irrigated cropland in the United States.
Steven C. Huber is recognized as an international expert on carbohydrate metabolism in plants, and his research has brought about a paradigm shift in the scientific understanding of plant metabolism, essentially defining how plants metabolize nutrients and regulate their growth. Huber's research has provided scientists around the world with valuable insight into the signaling pathways that control plant growth, the importance of hormones in plant development and the underpinnings of how plants use enzymes to perform vital functions. His discoveries regarding biological processes are providing promising targets for increasing crop plant growth, and his findings regarding plant genes are helping the growing number of scientists who now work with precision gene-editing tools to develop better crops.
Thomas Jackson's pioneering work to develop and adapt satellite-based microwave sensors opened the way to precise tracking of global soil moisture. He was the first scientist to develop a way to remove the effects of the vegetation layer from microwave remote sensing measurements, a milestone achievement. Jackson's algorithms merging data from diverse parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are fundamental to research in this field today and are being used in satellite remote sensing projects of the European Space Agency, the Japanese Aerospace Applications Agency, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)—nearly every country and group in space now to gather more detailed soil moisture data from large swaths of the world. Benefits flowing from the foundation laid by Jackson's work include improved crop yield monitoring and forecasting, better famine early warning systems (particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where hunger remains a major human health factor), breakthroughs in hydrologic and climate modeling, and even identification of human, animal, and plant disease outbreaks driven by excess or deficit of soil moisture.
Cletus P. Kurtzman is world renowned for his pioneering development and use of molecular biology techniques to identify and describe microorganisms of agricultural, biotechnological, scientific, and medical importance. His research fundamentally changed the field of yeast taxonomy and gave rise to new, improved methods of studying the genetic diversity of these microorganisms and determining the relationships among species. Kurtzman identified gene sequences enabling researchers worldwide to rapidly and accurately distinguish one yeast species from another. He led in the development of a comprehensive database and barcode-based system of sequence information to facilitate the diagnosis of all known yeasts species in the Ascomycetes fungal division. His genetic diversity research also ushered in better predictions on the biological properties of newly discovered yeast species. Kurtzman's own discovery of yeasts capable of fermenting simple plant sugars is credited with reviving industry efforts to convert crop biomass materials, like corn bran, into ethanol fuel.
Joyce E. Loper is an international leader in the area of biocontrol of plant pathogens. She has brought recognition to ARS through her research, leadership, collaborative projects, engagement with professional societies, and participation in organizations that help set policy and research direction. Loper's research has been on the molecular basis of biological control and the genomics, siderophore production, and secondary metabolism of Pseudomonas spp. Throughout her career, Loper has conducted pioneering research in rhizosphere ecology, biological control, mechanisms of disease suppression, bacterial plant diseases, and the genomics and molecular genetics of plant-associated bacteria. As a Ph.D. student, Loper was the first to document that populations of rhizosphere bacteria were highly variable in the soil, which is now recognized as one of the major factors that lead to inconsistency in the effectiveness of biocontrol agents and has led to a change in how populations of biocontrol agents in the soil are quantified. As a result of her many studies on why biocontrol was inconsistent and her discoveries on antibiotic production, Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf-5 was the first biocontrol agent for plant diseases to be sequenced, which led to many new discoveries on the mechanisms of biocontrol.
M. Susan Moran has earned national and international recognition for her innovative research on remote sensing of soil moisture and vegetation on both irrigated cropland and rangeland, which now serves as a guide on how to improve water management across large areas. During her exemplary 32-year career, Moran promoted interagency and international collaborations for watershed research, which included serving as Chair of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Applications Working Group. SMAP, a new satellite observatory launched in 2015 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), measures water in the top layer of soil everywhere on Earth. Moran developed an "Early Adopter Program" that provided worldwide SMAP data users access to videos, tutorials, workshops, and simulated data. Early adopters used the data to develop applications for crop forecasting, drought monitoring, weather prediction, famine early warning, military maneuvering, and greenhouse gas estimation. This one-of-a-kind program has since been implemented in every NASA Earth Observation mission. In addition, calibration methodology and equipment designed by Moran and colleagues have been adopted by scientists at the Foreign Agricultural Service, the European Space Agency, and commercial companies.
Leon V. Kochian, center director of the ARS Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health in Ithaca, New York, is a world leader in research on the adaptation of cereal crops to marginal soils, especially those limited by mineral deficiencies. Some of his most important work has been unraveling the strategies that plants use to tolerate toxic metals in the highly weathered soils of the tropics and subtropics—regions where many developing countries are located and food security is most tenuous. Kochian and his group carried out pioneering studies that identified the physiological mechanisms and the associated genes that allow the major cereal crops (maize, rice, sorghum and wheat) to tolerate toxic aluminum levels in acid soils. He also has contributed seminal findings towards a better understanding of how plant ion transporters function as well as the role root biology processes play in mineral nutrition. This work is helping subsistence farmers in the developing countries grow more crops and has contributed to global food security.
Donald R. Ort, plant physiologist and research leader of the ARS Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit in Urbana, Illinois, has been unraveling how changes in atmospheric composition expected with climate change will affect biochemical processes related to plant development, photosynthesis, water use and crop yields. His ground breaking research made it possible for the first time to conduct field studies on the interactions of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide with drought and rising atmospheric carbon dioxide with warming on crops. He and his group then identified promising ways to improve crops such as soybeans and corn to meet future food production needs under potential changing climatic conditions, ensuring that farmers will be able to maintain the global food supply.
Ralph Scorza, a research horticulturist and lead scientist at the ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Laboratory in Kearneysville, West Virginia, is nationally and internationally recognized for his pioneering work genetically enhancing fruit tree structure, developing new stone fruit varieties, and for using biotechnology techniques to improve woody perennial fruit species. Scorza has released 12 varieties of peaches, nectarines and plums, including those with disease resistance and improved flavors, several of which have become industry standards. His group also developed the 'FasTrack' breeding system that dramatically reduces the generation time for stone fruit species using a biotech approach to stimulate early flowering and fruiting. He has anticipated the spread of the exotic Plum pox virus into the United States and developed the first genetically engineered Plum pox virus resistant fruit tree to be approved for cultivation in this country.
Scott R. Yates, soil scientist and research leader of the ARS Contaminant Fate and Transport Research Unit at the U.S. Salinity Laboratory in Riverside, California, is an internationally renowned expert in reducing the harmful effects of soil fumigation used for controlling pests in high-valued crops such as strawberries, vegetables, tree fruits and nuts, and in mitigating the atmospheric emissions from such fumigants. Yates's research has provided the bulk of the information and technology that forms the basis of soil fumigation regulations. His technique to measure fumigant (vapor) movement through agricultural films used to trap emissions has become an American Society for Testing and Materials standard and has been adopted by industry for measuring film permeability. This method is helping increase crop production by showing where buffer zones of non-fumigated soil can be reduced and still leave passersby protected.
Perry Cregan, research leader of the ARS Soybean Genomics and Improvement Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., has been the driving force behind the development of new tools to identify, describe and map soybean, wheat and common bean genes for economically important traits, including resistance to pests and diseases, better tolerance to stresses such as drought, increased yield and improved seed quality traits.
Jerry Hatfield, director of the ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, Iowa, has conducted numerous field-scale research projects leading to the development of more efficient farming practices and strategies to prevent or mitigate the environmental impact of nutrient, sediment or chemical losses from crop fields through runoff, erosion or other processes.
Hyun Lillehoj, a research molecular biologist at the ARS Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., is one of the world's premier leaders in the field of avian immunology. She has conducted basic and applied research that advanced the understanding of immunological responses in poultry to the enteric pathogens Eimeria and Clostridium, which together cost the U.S. poultry industry $5 billion annually in losses. Lillehoj also has developed alternatives to antibiotic approaches—integrating nutrition, health and disease research—to protect commercial chickens from important avian diseases.
Ross Welch, a retired plant physiologist who worked at the ARS Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research Unit in Ithaca, N.Y., conducted pioneering research on the roles of zinc, iron, nickel and other micronutrients in maintaining plant health and productivity. His discoveries illustrated the importance of using plant breeding and fertilization to bolster micronutrient levels in staple food crops, especially in developing countries where health problems associated with malnutrition is a concern. He also was instrumental in establishing HarvestPlus, an international biofortification program.
Rufus L Chaney, an agronomist in the ARS Environmental Management and Byproduct Utilization Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., is an international expert on assessing the health and environmental risks posed by trace metals in contaminated soils, manures, biosolids, composts and other soil amendments. Chaney's work has been critical to ensuring the safety and sustainability of a variety of crop production systems. He also has found innovative ways to revegetate and revitalize long-barren toxic waste sites, including Superfund sites, using composts, limestone and byproducts to minimize the environmental risks from soil metals.
Sarah Hake, who is director of the ARS Plant Gene Expression Center in Albany, Calif., was the first scientist to clone a developmental gene using a transposable or "jumping" gene, and the first to identify a class of genes in plants that activate a cascade of other genes. The discovery of these influential genes that determine the architecture of plants was a surprise that created a whole new subfield of plant genomic studies. In other work focused on plant mechanisms, Hake showed that protein from the specialized genes moves through holes in cell walls to influence the activity of adjacent cells, an achievement considered groundbreaking and cited thousands of times by other scientists. Her work in leaf architecture and flower spike development in maize also has placed her at the forefront of plant biology.
David W Ramming, who retired in January from the ARS San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center at Parlier, Calif., is responsible for developing 40 varieties of table grapes, raisin grapes, peaches, apricots and other stone fruits, and has been instrumental in developing technologies that address a number of grower concerns. His 15 varieties of table grapes represent more than half of the table grape production in California. He also led research that resulted in a plant regeneration system that allows for the routine insertion of genes into grapes, speeding up the process for developing improved varieties. Embryo rescue techniques developed by Ramming also have significantly shortened the time required for development of new table grape and raisin grape cultivars.
Larry V. Cundiff is a world-renowned expert on beef genetics and breeding research. For more than 40 years, he directed genetics and breeding research that led to dramatic changes in breeding systems and genetic improvement programs in beef production worldwide. He has made essential contributions that impact beef production and substantially increase global use of crossbreeding. Cundiff led a comprehensive project to evaluate effects of heterosis in crosses of Hereford, Angus, and Shorthorn cattle and was a key members of a team that conducted research to determine the feasability of developing composite populations of beef cattle as a practical alternative to more complex crossbreeding systems. Later, Cundiff led a multi-disciplinary research team that characterized 37 diverse breeds of cattle in the comprehensive Germplasm Evaluation Program at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. The results of these studies have had a major impact on breeding decisions by commercial beef producers.
Donald Knowles is an international expert on animal science disease research, and his scientific leadership has had a tremendous impact on animal health. Through his scientific leadership in research and professional leadership in outreach Knowles has provided research-based solutions for multiple infectious diseases confronting animal health including bovine and equine babesiosis, viral diseases in small ruminants (goats and sheep) caused by lentiviruses, prion diseases, bovine anaplasmosis, and the emerging viral disease malignant catarrhal fever. Multiple new diagnostic tests developed by Knowles are being licensed and used worldwide.
Kenneth P. Vogel is widely considered the foremost switchgrass expert in the world. As a result of Vogel's innovative and strategic research switchgrass is now being developed internationally into a bioenergy crop. His comprehensive baseline research information on the net energy, economics, and carbon sequestration of switchgrass grown for biomass—as well as on the effects of removing corn stover for biomass energy on long-term agricultural sustainability—has had a significant impact on the national strategic bioenergy plans of the United States.
Allen Dedrick was a leader in water management research. His most notable achievements were the development of water-harvesting methods and of level-basin technology. Dedrick applied laser guidance to grading and leveling of irrigated fields, improving water distribution over the entire field. Laser-guided grading has been applied to tens of millions of irrigate acres and has expanded possibilities in arid climates. Level-basin irrigation became the standard in water efficiency. His next achievement was developing a novel drainage technique—a logical next step. Dedrick's improvements in irrigated agriculture led to the development of Management Improvement Programs (MIP) for transferring the technology. MIP pulled together a wide range of interested parties into an effort to improve the profitability and sustainability of irrigated agriculture. He led an interagency MIP of federal, state, and local entities, as well as an irrigation district and growers, that identified areas and established plans for improving performance. The Bureau of Reclamation then adapted and applied the process in irrigation districts in the western United States. Dedrick's achievements also have been widely adopted abroad. The world bank used the MIP model to improve irrigation around the world. Dedrick received both the award for the Advancement of Surface Irrigation and the Evelyn E. Rosentreter Standards Award from the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. He was voted Man of the Year by the Irrigation Association and was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the University of Nebraska, Department of Biological Systems Engineering. Dedrick was also honored with the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award. He has received numerous other awards and national and international recognition.
Ronald Fayer is a world-renowned expert on the study of microorganisms of medical and veterinary importance. Fayer pioneered in-vitro cultivation of coccidian parasites of domestic animals, and he was first to use these methods for testing anticoccidial drugs. His methods have been adapted and used throughout the world to investigate these and related organisms. Until Fayer, the source of Sarcocystis cysts in human and food-animal muscles was unknown. Fayer elucidated the life cycle of Sarcocystis, a parasitic infection that caused millions of dollars of beef to be condemned every year. He identified previously unknown precystic stages of infection that caused abortion, wasting, poor growth, and death in livestock. As a result, Sarcocystis disease is no longer a serious economic problem. Fayer is also recognized worldwide as a leader in the identification and naming of several new species of Cryptosporidium, a widespread pathogen affecting humans and animals. A preeminent international expert on protozoan pathogens, Fayer has received over 350 invitations to speak at scientific conference and has been invited to many countries to consult on problems involving protozoan pathogens. Honors include the Helminthological Society of Washington's Anniversary Award, Distinguished Veterinary Parasitologist from the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists, the National Oceanic and Atomospheric Administration Unit Award, and the H.B. Ward Medal from the American Society of Parasitologists. Fayer received the USDA Superior Service award in 1978 and 1997 and USDA's plow award in 2005. He is also a recipient of the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Senior Professional.
Ronald Follett is recognized for research leading to vast improvements in agricultural practices that enhance the quality of soil, water and air. Widely recognized for his work on managing nitrogen for groundwater quality, Follett organized a team responding to then president George H. W. Bush's water quality imitative. He also published an internationally used computer model on nitrogen leaching. He pioneered recognition of "soil organic carbon" (SOC) as an offset to greenhouse gas emissions and is widely recognized for his work on nitrogen. Since 2005, follett has led the ARS GRACEnet (Greenhouse gas reduction through agriculture carbon enhancement network) research effort, working with over 70 scientists from 32 ARS locations around the United states. The group has published 160 scientific papers so far. Along with other research, the network is developing a nationwide database of information from field studies for development of models that address the role of U.S. agriculture on greenhouse emissions and global climate change, as well as the potential of improved soil and crop management systems to affect these factors. Follett received the No-Till Innovator Award at the No-Till Farmer's 2007 Annual Meeting, the Soil Science Society of America's Soil Science Research Award and the Hugh Hammond Bennett Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society. He is a fellow of th Soil Science Society of America, the American Society of Agronomy, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society. USDA has recognized Follett with the Distinguished Service Award and Superior Service Award, as well as ARS' Senior Research Scientist of the Year Award. In addition, he was honored with the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Senior Professional.
Jitender Dubey's contributions to the control and biology of major parasitic diseases of livestock and humans have reversed the loss of billions of dollars for the animal industry, as well as saving the lives of innumerable children. Dubey worked principally on three single-cell organisms: Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Sarcocystis neurona. Toxoplasmosis, caused by T. gondii, is a devastating disease among congenitally infected children and a major cause of foodborne disease in the United States. Dubey has spent years developing methods for identifying the presence of T. gondii and guidelines for rendering infected meat safe for consumption. Neospora caninum causes spontaneous abortion in livestock and paralysis in household pets. Having identified N. caninum as the cause, Dubey developed tests to identify it, discovered its lifecycle, and led research into developing a vaccine. Dubey identified the cause of Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis and developed a diagnostic test. He furthermore elucidated the protozoa's life cycle and discovered the drugs used to treat the disease. Dubey has received the Medal of the Toxoplasma Centennial Congress, the Eminent Parasitologist Award and the Barclay McGhee Award in Protozoology from the American Society of Parasitologists, the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Senior Professional, and Technology Transfer Award from USDA, Agricultural Research Service. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Ronald Horst is known throughout the world for his work on milk fever in dairy cattle, vitamin D metabolism, and assays. Milk fever is a common metabolic disorder of cattle that costs the dairy industry $250 million every year. Horst discovered the cause of milk fever and its association with high levels of dietary potassium. He and his associates found that the addition of hydrochloric acid to cows' feed reduces the incidence of milk fever. Horst also elucidated the processes of activation and deactivation of fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamin D. His work produced a series of revolutionary analytical methods for monitoring the products of these processes. Besides their importance in the dairy, beef, swine, and poultry industries, these methods have been applied to human medicine, in particular enhancing the understanding of renal failure and osteoporosis. Horst has been honored with the American Feed Manufacturing Association Award for Dairy Nutrition, the Upjohn Physiology Award, the Agway Inc. Young Scientist Award, the Dean Food Award, and the Brown University Award. From the Federal Government, he has received the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Senior Professional, USDA's Certificate of Merit, and Scientist of the Year from USDA, Agricultural Research Service. He is a Fellow of the American Dairy Science Association.
Dale Van Vleck is noted for his outstanding work in developing computational methods for the selection of breeding animals based on genetic characteristics. Van Vleck's greatest achievement is the development and release of general purpose software for estimation of genetic parameters from experimental and industry data. This involved a revolutionary breakthrough in computer strategy that reduced the time needed to process complex data by as much as 600-fold. He was the first to use simulated data to investigate intractable problems such as analysis of threshold traits, and he devised the "animal model" to estimate genetic parameters required to predict breeding values of dairy cattle. Van Vleck also developed an original procedure to compare the genetic value of bulls across breeds; previously bulls could only be compared within a breed. Van Vleck's honors include the Animal Breeding and Genetics Award and Morrison Award, American Society of Animal Science; National Association of Animal Breeders Award; Jay L. Lush Award, American Dairy Science Association; Pioneer Award, Beef Improvement Federation; International Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture Award and other awards, Gamma Sigma Delta; Pioneer Award, Beef Improvement Federation; and Living Pioneer Award, National Dairy Shrine. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Animal Science.
Dairy scientist Max Paape is the world's leading authority on bovine mastitis, the costliest disease to the U.S. dairy industry. He is internationally renowned for his work on cells in milk and the neutrophil's role in defending the mammary gland against bacteria causing mastitis. His research into the biology of bovine neutrophils and his significant discoveries about factors influencing their function made groundbreaking contributions to the study of mammary immunology, which has benefited diary industries world wide in the control of mastitis in dairy ruminants. Early in his career, Paape developed procedures for quantifying the milk somatic cell count (MSCC), now used as an index of udder health. His research showed that noninfectious factors did not increase MSCC and led to the formation of abnormal milk control programs. His seminal work has had a lasting impact on dairy industries worldwide. Current regulatory limits, milk producer premiums, and animal selection all rely heavily on accurate MSC determination.
Geneticist J. Neil Rutger created a renaissance in the application of induced mutation as a breeding tool for rapid development of new rice cultivars. His work on semidwarf cultivars, early maturity, and grain characteristics has had great national and international impact. In 1976, Rutger released the first semidwarf table rice cultivar in the United States, Calrose 76, which had a 15-percent yield advantage over tall cultivars. Calrose 76 has been the ancestral semidwarfism source for many additional cultivars developed. Rutger also developed early maturity mutants, endosperm mutants, elongated uppermost internode mutants, genetic male steriles, low phytic acid mutants, giant embryo mutants, and semidwarf basmati and jasmine germplasm. He has released over 60 improved germplasms. As the first Director of the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center, Rutger recruited staff and developed the Center into a world-class facility, which includes the Rice Genomics Facility and the Genetic Stocks-Oryza Collection.
Soil scientist B.A. Stewart's seminal work on nutrient management, water quality, water management, and dryland agriculture has influenced research worldwide. His groundbreaking research on anhydrous ammonia, nitrogen fractions, and nitrate accumulation and movement beneath feedlots and cultivated fields stimulated research worldwide on agriculture's effects on environmental quality. In 1975, he led the team that prepared Control of Water Pollution from Cropland, a report jointly issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that inspired the concept of agricultural best management practices and, together with a follow-up ARS-EPA report, laid the foundation for ARS's water quality modeling program. He is an international leader in dryland agriculture and water conservation and is widely known for his conservation tillage research and no till advocacy.
Plant pathologist Robert Davis's 1979 discovery of spiroplasmas, a previously unrecognized form of life, revolutionized the worlds of plant pathology, medicine, and animal husbandry. The fundamental understanding of this entire group of lifeforms rests on his work. A form of bacteria without cell walls, spiroplasmas cause diseases of crop plants and of insects and are suspected in some human maladies. By showing the scientific world that this lifeform exists, Davis opened new categories of research. He showed the scientific community how to culture these smallest of microbes and how they survive outside plants on flower petals. Davis developed techniques to detect and identify spiroplasmas, and discovered spiroplasma diseases of honey bees and other pollinating insects. He conceptualized and led the project to sequence the spiroplasma genome. Davis even discovered a pathogen of the pathogen—a virus that infects spiroplasmas across species.
Soil scientist Andrew Sharpley is internationally recognized for his invaluable contributions in promoting soil and water conservation strategies that are both economically beneficial and environmentally sound. Sharpley's research on non-point-source pollution led to involvement in developing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans that increased recreational use of waters, improved shellfish harvests, reduced fish kills, and lowered drinking water treatment costs. Sharpley's research on nutrient cycling in soil-water systems demonstrated the movement of nutrients in agricultural systems and their impact on water resources. This led to equations that predict the transport of elemental nutrients in runoff, including the Phosphorus Index (widely known as the "P Index") for identifying agricultural fields at greatest risk for nutrient loss. The P Index serves as an educational tool that shows the results of management options to provide flexible strategies for keeping nutrients in the field and out of surface and ground water. Sharpley's research recommendations and technological innovations have been widely adapted by regulatory and resource conservation agencies worldwide.
Dennis Gonsalves was a trailblazer in applying pathogen-derived resistance to the development of virus-resistant plant varieties and in related research into viral diseases of fruits and vegetables. After years of studying and improving disease resistance in cucumber, grapevine and other fruits and vegetables, he and his research team developed methods for transferring specific virus genes into host plants to create resistance to that virus. His ringspot-resistant papaya saved the small-farm-based Hawaiian papaya industry. This new variety was so successful that it became the first commercialized transgenic fruit crop. Gonsalves further adapted papaya varieties for local conditions in Africa and Bangladesh. These improved varieties will help in overcoming vitamin-A deficiency in children of those areas.
Plant geneticist Johnie Jenkins' realization of interdisciplinary teamwork on host plant resistance brought great advances in reduction of damage to cotton by insects and nematodes. Investigating differences in germplasm resistance to pests, he pioneered the understanding of the effects of chemical differences among cotton strains on the variability of damage done by pests. Cotton farmers can thank Jenkins for less damage by boll weevils, Heliothis, tarnished plant bugs, and root-knot nematodes. Jenkins also performed seminal work on cotton fruiting, retention, and yield, developing the technique of "plant mapping."
Janet King, a nutrition scientist, is internationally recognized for her research on energy and zinc metabolism in adults, and especially in pregnant women. Her work has profoundly influenced our understanding of maternal and infant health. She showed in a groundbreaking study that maternal nutritional status—particularly fat stores—at the inception of pregnancy strongly affects the pregnancy's outcome. This led to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies establishing differing weight-gain guidelines fior underweight, normal-range and overweight expectant mothers. King chaired the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee for the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, which guided revision of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Pyramid. She also chaired the National Academy of Sciences' Food and Nutrition Board, which established a new paradigm for U.S. Dietary Reference Intakes, and a United Nations committee on international harmonization of dietary standards.
In Wayne Hanna's 35 years of research in turfgrass breeding and genetics, he has improved the very surface of the earth we walk on. His bermudagrass varieties have more vigor and resistance to pests and heat and need less fertilizer, pesticides and water. His bermudagrasses are widely used for forage and on golf courses, ball fields and lawns. He developed new pearl millets for forage that cost farmers less to grow while producing higher yields of high-quality pasture. Hanna's seminal research on apomixis (plant cloning) is directed towards producing true-breeding cultivars that retain superior characteristics and hybrid vigor in crops for which traditional hybridization is not economically feasible and in which apomixis does not occur naturally. He has also done vital work on gene transfer in millet. Hanna was based at the ARS Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, Ga.
The "Father of Remote Sensing," physicist Ray Jackson developed methods used worldwide to evaluate crop health. His methods provide quick, inexpensive, noninvasive assessments of plants and soils. Jackson's insight was to determine directly from plants what their condition was—by observing the difference between their remotely sensed "body temperature" (emitted infrared radiation) and that of the air and soil. Jackson's crop-water stress index better detects yield-robbing crop stress and can indicate when to irrigate. Because of his work at the ARS U.S. Water Conservation Laboratory in Phoenix, Ariz., commercial sensors soon became available. The technology expanded to use of airplane/ground systems and then orbiting satellites. Today, remote sensing of vegetation condition is commonplace around the world.
Vernon Pursel is recognized worldwide for reproductive and genetic technologies in farm animals. His influence on gene engineering and his development of frozen swine semen profoundly influence animal and biomedical science. Freezing of swine semen for artificial insemination was unsuccessful until the 1970s when Pursel developed a procedure that is used to this day. Advances resulting from his research have increased use of artificial insemination to include over 80 percent of the U.S. swine herd. In 1984, Pursel was the first to successfully transfer foreign genes into farm animals. His centrifugation technique made methods used in mouse experiments possible in pigs and cows, and he proved gene transfer is practical in farm species. Transgenetic technology promises better animal growth and milk production, enhanced disease resistance and higher quality food, as well as inexpensive farm production of human medicines.
Charles W. Beard joined ARS in 1965 at the Southeast Poultry Laboratory in Athens, Ga. During his 28-year career he developed the test for the detection of avian influenza antibodies in serum and egg yolk—a test still considered the worldwide "gold standard" for avian influenza diagnostics. He conducted experimental studies and published papers on a wide variety of poultry disease subjects including serology, vaccines and disease origins. He also developed containment systems for safely conducting infectious disease research. These systems are the basis of construction standards for biocontainment laboratories.
Nelson A. Cox is among the world's most influential poultry microbiologists. His work has led to huge reductions in Salmonella contamination (from 75 percent of broiler chickens in 1990 to 11 percent in 2005) and massive savings to the poultry industry. Cox proved that immersion chilling is superior, in microbiological terms, to air-blast chilling, preventing a European trade ban that would have hurt the U.S. poultry industry. He and his coworkers also identified hatcheries as significant reservoirs for Salmonella and conducted extensive research on intervention strategies. Cox began his career with ARS in 1971 and still works for the agency, in the Poultry Microbiological Safety Research Unit at Athens, Ga.
Sigmund Schwimmer's research on enzymes and their varied uses in food preparation and preservation transformed the U.S. food industry. As early as World War II, his enzyme investigations had provided indispensable principles for the modern production of gasohol from corn. His work on low-temperature preservation contributed to the foundation of techniques for modern frozen food. His other research led to improved practices in brewing, baking and distilling and innovative advances in health and nutrition. Schwimmer retired from ARS in 1974, but continues to collaborate with scientists at the agency's Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif.
Tien C. Tso joined ARS in 1952 and retired in 1983. He was a leader in laying the foundation of organic metabolism of phytochemistry: the roles of organic compounds—such as sugars, organic acids, amino acids, sterols and polyphenols—in plants, and their metabolism in the plants. His research findings have broad applications. For example, he developed a group of fatty acid compounds that are widely used in the fruit and flower industries for thinning purposes. Much of his work supports medical and nutritional uses of tobacco plant constituents. In the early 1990s Tso played a key role in establishing a scientific team that helped resolve a major wheat trade issue between the United States and China, resulting in increased U.S. wheat exports to China.
Geneticist Donald K. Barnes pioneered the improvement of alfalfa by developing the means to breed the crop for pest resistance and improved nitrogen nutrition. This enabled farmers to depend less on chemical fertilizer. But Barnes' greatest achievement was to reduce by more than one-third the seed required to establish and maintain more than 20 million acres of alfalfa around the world. Furthermore, he almost singlehandedly mentored a generation of alfalfa geneticists. Barnes, now retired, led the Plant Science Research Unit in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Ruth Rogan Benerito, a chemist, is recognized as one of the foremost inventors of the 20th century. Through her pivotal role in developing wrinkle-free cotton fabrics, she helped make cotton fiber competitive with synthetics. Her basic research in the physical chemistry of cellulose opened up vast potentials in the manufacture of wood and paper products as well as those made from cotton. Benerito was research leader at the Cotton Chemical Reactions Laboratory in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Keith E. Gregory greatly expanded the potential of beef cattle breeding through an understanding of heterosis or "hybrid vigor." He developed a breeding system based on composite cattle—lines that mix traits from different breeds to meet criteria such as feed availability, climate or market characteristics. This crossbreeding increases production through better survival and growth of calves, higher reproductive rate and longer breeding life. Gregory was a geneticist at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska.
Edward B. Bagley contributed foundational research to the science of rheology, the study of flow and deformation of matter. He is best known for his role in developing the starch-based copolymer Super Slurper. Super Slurper can absorb up to 2,000 times its own weight in water. The product has become part of a wide variety of products including baby powders, diapers, batteries, and fuel filters. Bagley, now retired, was a research leader at ARS' National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois.
Janice Miller is a veterinary medical officer with ARS' National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa. She is a leader in investigating the biology, causes, and transmission of bovine leukemia and other serious diseases of ruminants. She developed tests for bovine leukemia, bovine tuberculoses, and several other major cattle diseases, greatly reducing their threat to U.S. livestock production and exports.
George Inglett is one of the foremost international experts in food science and technology. He developed Oatrim, Z-Trim, Nutrim, Soytrim—derivatives from oats, barley, and soy—as fat replacements that provide a fraction of fats' calories to consumers, but still taste good. These products offer many nutritional benefits to consumers. Inglett is a research chemist at ARS' National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois.
K. Darwin Murrell led USDA's comprehensive research program on trichinellosis, which combined the efforts of many ARS laboratories and other institutions. The program's significant advances in the epidemiology, immunity, diagnosis, and systematics of Trichinella led to a significant reduction in the threat posed by this disease in the United States. Murrell's leadership of laboratory and agency-level programs established and advanced agency research objectives. He retired from ARS as deputy administrator.
Stuart O. Nelson, an agricultural engineer in ARS' Quality Assessment Research Unit at Athens, Georgia, is the world authority on dielectric properties of agricultural products and their measurement. His research on the dielectric behavior of granular and pulverized materials led to the first reliable technique for measuring moisture in grain. In the United States, grain moisture content is measured almost exclusively by his methods.
Lawrence A. Johnson is recognized as the world authority on sex preselection in mammals, having developed the only validated method for selecting the sex of offspring at conception. Sex preselection has given the livestock industry the ability to manage the proportions of male and female offspring in their breeding herds. Johnson has also made outstanding contributions to semen preservation and artificial insemination in swine. He retired from ARS as research leader of the Germplasm and Gamete Physiology Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland.
William E. Larson is an authority on soil and its importance to agriculture and the environment. He is widely respected for his understanding of and respect for soil as a natural resource and for his stewardship. He recognized early the fundamental nature of organic matter in creating soil quality. He served as national technical leader for ARS' Tillage/Residue Management Investigation in St. Paul, Minnesota.
William L. Mengeling is one of the world's foremost veterinary virologists. His contributions to controlling viral diseases of swine have had extensive effects on the international swine industry. He developed the main test used in eradicating hog cholera from the United States, leading to savings of $100 million a year in the swine industry. Before retiring from ARS, he served as research leader of the Virus and Prion Diseases of Livestock Research Unit in Ames, Iowa.
Virginia H. Holsinger is known for her research on dairy products, especially whey and whey beverages. Her work on formulated foods for emergency use and food donation has enriched the health of needy people worldwide. She is most widely known for developing the enzyme treatment that makes milk digestible by lactose-intolerant individuals. Holsinger, now retired, was research leader of the ARS Dairy Products Research Unit in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.
Marvin E. Jensen developed the first practical models of soil-water balance needed to improve irrigation scheduling using computers. His work increased the efficiency of water and energy use, resulting in savings for farmers and consumers. Jensen's work spawned modern scientific irrigation scheduling. He served as a National Program Leader of Water Management Research in Beltsville, Maryland, before retiring from ARS.
Harley W. Moon contributed to a fundamental understanding of intestinal diseases in livestock, and he developed effective control programs for these diseases. Moon discovered that some strains of Escherichia coli, which are common in the intestines of humans and animals, can produce diarrhea. His research opened the way for methods to control E. coli infection. He was director of ARS' Plum Island Foreign Animal Disease Laboratory in Greenport, New York.
Allene R. Jeanes was posthumously inducted into the ARS Science Hall of Fame for her microbiological, chemical, and engineering research contributions that created urgently needed, life-saving industrial polymers made from agricultural commodities. She and a colleague proposed a project for producing dextran and converting it into synthetic blood plasma. The fluid that resulted from her team's efforts was used on the battlefields of Korea and Vietnam to save countless lives. She worked as a research chemist with ARS' National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois.
Charles W. Stuber was inducted into the Hall of Fame for pioneering the use of molecular markers in identifying, mapping, and manipulating quantitative trait genes. His research stimulated interest in DNA-based marker technology for improving crop traits, led industry giants to revolutionize many of their crop breeding procedures, and influenced animal breeding technology. He worked as a research geneticist and research leader in ARS' Plant Science Research Unit at Raleigh, North Carolina.
Richard L. Witter is a world-renowned authority on avian tumors—particularly Marek's disease, a devastating illness that costs the poultry industry millions every year. His research formed the basis for HVT vaccine, a herpesvirus isolate from turkeys that is used worldwide to help combat Marek's disease. It is estimated that the vaccine has saved the poultry industry more than $100 million each year since it was introduced in 1971. Witter worked as a veterinary medical officer at ARS' Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory in East Lansing, Michigan.
Thomas J. Henneberry is internationally recognized for his work in pest management. His research—on the ecology, biology, and control of cotton bollworm, tobacco budworm, pink bollworm, boll weevil, sweet potato whitefly, and other pests—has resulted in significant contributions to pest management systems worldwide. Henneberry worked as laboratory director of ARS' Western Cotton Research Laboratory in Phoenix, Arizona.
James H. Tumlinson, III, is a pioneer in the discovery of insect pheromones. Before retiring, he served as research leader of the ARS Insect Chemistry Research Unit in Gainesville, Florida. Tumlinson's research led to eradication of the boll weevil from the southeastern United States. He discovered the chemical basis of plant-insect-parasite interaction. He also provided leadership in identifying pheromones from over 40 species in 13 insect families of considerable economic importance.
Morton Beroza has an international reputation for discovering ingenious and inventive tools for controlling insect pests safely within their ecological domain. He developed many environmentally compatible insect control strategies using insect lures, attractants, repellents, and pheromones. Beroza invented analytical techniques and apparatus now used by chemists worldwide. He worked as a chief of ARS' Organic Chemicals Synthesis Laboratory before retiring.
R. James Cook has inspired an ecological approach to controlling diseases of agricultural crops, particularly wheat and barley. He is recognized worldwide as the leading authority on biological control of plant pathogens. He is the first person to find resistance to both "take all" and Rhizoctonia root rot diseases in a plant closely related to wheat. He served as the research leader of the ARS Root Disease and Biological Control Research Unit in Pullman, Washington.
Retired plant physiologist William L. Ogren worked in the ARS Photosynthesis Research Unit at Urbana, Illinois. He is a pioneer in discovering how plants use sunlight. His research on photosynthesis helped to make it a key factor worldwide for crop improvement strategies. He worked as a plant physiologist in the Photosynthesis Research Unit at Urbana, Illinois.
The late Fred W. Blaisdell developed improved structures for soil and water conservation. His research has influenced the design of almost every structure used to "drop" flowing water in stream channels. His famous and widely used structure is the Saint Anthony Falls stilling basin, which is used to drop water from one level to another in a water conveyance channel. Blaisdell, for the majority of his fifty year USDA career, was Project Supervisor of the USDA ARS facility at Saint Anthony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory at Minneapolis and completed his career at the ARS Hydraulic Engineering Research Unit at Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Herbert J. Dutton retired as chief of ARS' Oilseeds Crops Laboratory in Peoria, Illinois. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame for research that lead to the establishment of soybean oil as the predominant edible vegetable oil in the world. Largely as a result of his research contributions, soybean oil commands 85 percent of the domestic fats and oils market. His research continues to have an impact on soybean research.
Research geneticist Charles Jackson Hearn worked in ARS' Horticultural and Breeding Research Unit at Orlando, Florida, before retiring from the agency. He developed improved orange, grapefruit, and tangerine varieties used extensively by U.S. citrus producers. Hearn's varieties represent 40 percent of the nursery-propagated grapefruit planted in Florida, 72 percent of the tangerines, and 7 percent of citrus classified as oranges.
Harry Alfred Borthwick spent many years studying and quantifying the photoperiodic mechanisms that control flowering in plants. His studies formed the basis for collaborative research with other scientists that successfully identified and isolated the photoreceptor for day length detection in plants. He worked at ARS' Photoperiod Pioneering Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, and was posthumously inducted into ARS' Science Hall of Fame.
William M. Doane served as a research leader of the ARS Plant Polymer Research Unit in Peoria, Illinois before retiring. He initiated and conducted research that created new and useful products that ultimately led to the establishment of new industries based on agricultural materials. He initiated a research program that led to discovery and development of Super Slurper, a highly absorbent starch graft polymer. Today, Doane's polymer can be found in many products, including seed coatings, wound dressing and disposable soft goods.
The late Walter Mertz was an authority in several areas of nutrition. He was one of the world's most prominent research scientists in the area of trace elements in human nutrition. He is best known for discovering that chromium is an essential nutrient involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Mertz promoted research on dietary risk factors for chronic health disorders. He was director of the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.
Charles N. Bollich led in the development of 16 rice cultivars, many of which have become driving forces in the United States and a number of Central and South American countries. Bollich's research has contributed significantly to rice breeding and genetics and their consequent benefits to American agriculture. He worked as a research leader at ARS' Rice Research Laboratory in Beaumont, Texas.
Chester G. McWhorter worked as a research leader of the ARS Application Technology Research Unit in Stoneville, Mississippi. He earned his place in the Hall of Fame for contributing to American agriculture through basic and applied research that has resulted in improved weed management technology leading to increased yields and reduced production costs. McWhorter's improved weed control technology is now used in the United States on more than 60 million acres annually.
Malcolm J. Thompson is internationally recognized for his contributions to the fields of insect and plant biochemistry. Thompson is notably remembered for his pioneering discoveries with the group of steroid hormones (ecdysteroids) that regulate molting in insects and other invertebrates. He worked as a research chemist at ARS' Insect Neurobiology and Hormone Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland.
John R. Gorham's scientific research has resulted in the solving of animal disease control problems and has advanced the basic knowledge of viral and genetic diseases in humans and animals. He has an international reputation in slow virus diseases, fur animal diseases, and animal models of human genetic diseases. Gorham served as a research leader in the ARS Animal Diseases Research Unit at Pullman, Washington.
Sterling B. Hendricks was posthumously inducted into ARS' Science Hall of Fame for his significant contributions as a chemist, physicist, mathematician, plant physiologist, geologist, and mineralogist. Notably remembered for his work on plant photobiology, he also pioneered the application of radioisotopes to the study of phosphate fertilizer transport and intake into plant roots. He worked at ARS as chief scientist of the Mineral Nutrition Pioneering Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland.
The late Clair E. Terrill was a worldwide leader in sheep production research. He developed a three-pronged strategy for increasing efficiency of meat production from sheep without increasing feed demands: genetically increase the lamb crop, remove low-producing adults at a young age and reduce lamb mortality. He served as National Program Leader for Sheep and Fur Animals Research in Beltsville, Maryland.
The late Raymond C. Bushland conducted pioneering research that helped lead to screwworm eradication using the sterile insect technique. His research also helped lead to the control of human body louse, the vector of epidemic typhus. Typhus is particularly a problem among military and civilians in wartime conditions. Before retiring, Bushland worked as a research entomologist with ARS' Screwworm Research Laboratory in Mission, Texas.
Lyman B. Crittenden worked at ARS as research leader of the Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory in East Lansing, Michigan. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his research contributions to retroviral genetics, transgenic animal development, and genome mapping in poultry. He led a 10-year group effort that developed improved methods for detecting and reducing the effects of avian leukosis virus in poultry. He led a program that resulted in development of the first transgenic chickens.
Arnel R. Hallauer played a major role in developing and evaluating more than 30 maize synthetics and 18 inbred lines that were released to the seed industry during his years as leader of the ARS maize breeding research project. His research helped increase the understanding and use of quantitative genetics in plant breeding and has led to the development of many superior corn hybrids worldwide. Hallauer retired from the agency as research leader of ARS' Field Crops Research Unit in Ames, Iowa.
The late John H. Weinberger retired from the Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory in Fresno, California, where he worked as a research horticulturist. He earned a place in the Hall of Fame for his lifelong research contributions to developing fruit varieties and fruit-breeding technology. During his career at ARS, Weinberger developed and released 37 fruit varieties. Flame Seedless, a table grape he released in 1973, is now the second most important seedless grape produced in the United States.
The late Walter H. Wischmeier served as national research investigations leader of ARS' Soil and Water Conservation Research Division in West Lafayette, Indiana. He developed the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), which has been widely used for decades worldwide in natural resource conservation and management. According to the International Soil and Water Conservation Society, USLE is regarded as the "primary tool of conservationists for planning purposes."
The late Theodore C. Byerly, a biologist, served as Deputy Administrator of ARS and was stationed in Washington, D.C. He directed research that produced many major advances in poultry science, including discovery of the superiority of selectively bred hybrids in egg and poultry production, and the development of the Beltsville white turkey. He was a founding director and president of the Friends of Agricultural Research, Beltsville (FAR-B).
Gordon E. Dickerson was a research animal geneticist at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. His concepts and procedures in livestock genetics are widely used by breeders to increase production efficiency of cattle, sheep, swine, and poultry.
Robert W. Holley was inducted into the Hall of Fame for discovering and characterizing a class of low molecular ribonucleic acids known as transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNAs). These act as carriers for specific amino acids during protein synthesis. Holley's research on tRNAs provided the foundation for more recent advances in both plant and animal sciences based on recombinant DNA techniques. Holley worked as a research chemist in the ARS Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory at Ithaca, New York.
The late Virgil A. Johnson was a research leader at ARS' Wheat Research Unit in Lincoln, Nebraska. He developed superior bread wheat cultivars and improved wheat germplasm. He co-developed 28 improved wheat cultivars that have set new productivity and performance standards for hard red winter wheat in the United States and in similar wheat-producing countries, such as Turkey and South Africa. These cultivars have occupied as much as 25 percent of the entire U.S. wheat acreage.
The late George F. Sprague contributed significantly to the development of methods for identifying and producing superior corn hybrids that are widely considered to be among the greatest plant breeding achievements of the 20th century. Sprague developed Stiff Stalk Synthetic, which became one of the most important germplasm line sources. He retired from ARS as investigations leader of the Corn and Sorghum Investigations Unit in Beltsville, Maryland.
Douglas R. Dewey is recognized as a leading authority on cytogenetics, the study of chromosomes and chromosome abnormality-related diseases; genomic relationships; and taxonomic classification of wheatgrasses, wild ryes and related species. He assembled the world's largest and most diverse collection of perennial species in the grass family subdivision called the Triticeae tribe. Dewey served as research leader of ARS' Forage and Range Research Unit in Logan, Utah, before retiring.
Theodor O. Diener was inducted into the Hall of Fame for conceptualizing and discovering viroids, for leading research on viroid detection and control, and for inspiring new approaches in the search for causes of several serious diseases affecting plants, livestock, and humans. Diener worked as a research plant pathologist at ARS' Microbiology and Plant Pathology Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland.
Karl H. Norris served as research leader for ARS' Instrumental Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland. He developed principles and instruments using the electromagnetic waves spectrum to make rapid, nondestructive measurements for evaluating the quality of agricultural products. Norris developed near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) as a method for measuring the protein, oil, and moisture content of grain. NIRS has been widely adopted in the world grain marketing system.
John F. Sullivan was inducted into the ARS Hall of Fame for his contributions to the food-processing and preservation industries, including development of instant potato flakes and a batch explosion-puffing system for producing dried, rehydratable fruit and vegetable products. The development of instant potato flakes played an important role in revitalizing the U.S. potato industry. Before retiring, Sullivan worked as a chemical engineer in ARS' Engineering Science Research Unit at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Microbiologist Francis E. Clark helped determine how microorganisms affect nutrient cycling in plants and soil. His research lead to a greater understanding of soil, plant, and microbial interactions in terrestrial ecosystems. He defined factors affecting nitrate formation and stability in soil, and the role of cropping history and organic matter in controlling nitrogen losses. Clark worked in the ARS Soil, Plant, Nutrient Research Unit at Fort Collins, Colorado.
Edgar E. Hartwig developed new soybean cultivars that helped transform this crop to the second most valuable U.S. crop. Nearly 90 percent of southern soybean acreage is planted with cultivars developed by Hartwig. He worked as a research agronomist in ARS' Soybean Production Research Unit at Stoneville, Mississippi.
The late Ralph E. Hodgson was inducted to the ARS Hall of Fame for significantly contributing to the understanding of production and use of pasture and forages. He was instrumental in modernizing and expanding ARS livestock research. Hodgson served in Beltsville, Maryland, as a National Program Staff scientist for Dairy Production.
Hamish N. Munro worked as a senior scientist at ARS' Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts in Boston, Massachusetts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his research contributions in nutrition science, particularly on the relationship of dietary protein and iron to the health of the elderly, and for promoting studies on aging.
José Vicente-Chandler spearheaded research that led to new and greatly improved production systems for beef, milk, coffee, plantains, and rice for Puerto Rico and Caribbean countries. He retired from ARS, after 43 years of service, as the research leader of the Soil and Water Conservation Research Unit in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.
Howard L. Bachrach worked as chief scientist at the ARS Plum Island Animal Disease Center in Greenport, New York. He made his first significant contribution to the conquest of viral diseases in 1949 with his research on foot-and-mouth disease. It was his research that led to development of the world's first effective subunit vaccine for any disease of animals or humans using gene splicing.
Myron K. Brakke was a research chemist stationed at what was then the ARS Wheat and Sorghum Research Unit in Lincoln, Nebraska. His invention for separating plant and animal cell components, called density-gradient centrifugation, has had a great and lasting worldwide influence on molecular biology. His research in plant virology earned him a place in the ARS Hall of Fame.
Glenn W. Burton was inducted into the ARS Hall of Fame for his research achievements in forage and turf science. He worked as a research plant geneticist in the Forage and Turf Research Unit at Tifton, Georgia. Burton developed Coastal bermudagrass—a pasture grass for beef cattle—and solved problems associated with its establishment and management. Coastal bermudagrass has been planted on more than 10 million acres throughout the southern United States.
Wilson A. Reeves worked as chief of the Cotton Finishing Laboratory in New Orleans, Louisiana. He developed individually and with other scientists many economically beneficial techniques for making cotton and cotton-blend fabrics flame resistant, flame retardant, wash-and-wear, and durable press. Reeves' research and leadership in the field of textile chemical finishing has significantly benefited agriculture and consumers.
The late Ernest R. Sears' work in wheat genetics and discoveries of chromosomal mechanisms that established standards in animal, plant, and human genetics secured him a spot in the ARS Hall of Fame. He conducted research that provided essential data about wheat's 21 chromosomes. Sears worked as a research geneticist in the ARS Cereal Genetics Research Unit at Columbia, Missouri.
The late Orville A. Vogel, a research agronomist formerly in ARS' Wheat Breeding and Production Unit, developed the first useful semidwarf wheats and innovative production systems that made the Pacific Northwest a major source of soft white wheat. His research inspired similar research efforts throughout the world and sparked the Green Revolution.
Cecil H. Wadleigh was inducted into the ARS Hall of Fame for determining the mechanisms through which crops respond to salinity and water stress. His research provided a substantial part of the information published in USDA's Agriculture Handbook 60, "Diagnosis and Improvement of Saline Soil," the definitive work on this subject since its publication more than 25 years ago. Wadleigh retired from ARS as director of the Soil and Water Conservation Research Division in Beltsville, Maryland.
The late Edward F. Knipling was the first inductee into the ARS Science Hall of Fame. He served as director of the Entomology Division in Beltsville, Maryland. Knipling developed an innovative sterile male technique for controlling insect pests in the early 1950s. During that time, insect control strategies relied mostly on chemical pesticides. His method involved releasing sterile male insects into the wild as a way to disrupt insect reproduction. Knipling's pioneering research, which led to screwworm eradication in the United States, landed him a place in ARS history.
