Plant Pathology Self Study Oct2011 REV.Pdf
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Department of Plant Pathology is one of nine academic units in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at The Ohio State University, and is the sole academic unit dedicated to plant-microbe interactions in Ohio's Higher Education system. The department consists of faculty, students, post-docs, and staff located on the Columbus and Wooster campuses of OSU. Funding comes from the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and Ohio State University Extension (OSUE) line items, and from OSU Academic Programs; higher levels of financial support are obtained from external grants, contracts and gifts. Research programs in the department encompass basic investigations of plant-microbe interactions at the molecular level to studies of epidemics at the population level, and, in parallel, mission-oriented investigations of management tactics for diseases of major crops and forest trees. Graduate education is one of the foundations of the department. Currently, there are about 2.5 graduate students per faculty advisor; 217 students have enrolled in our graduate program over the last two decades, and many of our graduates have gone on to leadership roles in academia, government and private industry. The department is fully committed to undergraduate education, with a major in Plant Health Management, a minor in Plant Pathology, a new Plant Pathology major, and courses designed for non-majors. Although our UG enrollment in our major is small, our students are very successful, and 70% ultimately enroll in graduate school. Through the use of oral, printed, and electronic media, we are at the forefront in the college in outreach and engagement efforts, primarily through our Extension education programming. Furthermore, the department is engaged globally, with leadership in international research and development projects. Planning and self- assessment are continually utilized as we develop new initiatives in research, education, and outreach. For example, we have developed a new professional master’s degree in plant health management, and are pioneering eLearning initiatives in the college in classroom and Extension education. Our vision is to be the most credible source of unbiased, science-based information on plant diseases and plant health management in the U.S. Based on success indicators described herein, and our ongoing self-study, we strongly believe that we are one of the leading Departments of Plant Pathology in the country. We have built and maintained this prominent role despite continuing budget cuts from OARDC and OSUE, resulting most notably in the decline in the number of regular faculty members from 19 to 13 since 2000. We see many opportunities to continue our leadership role, and grow further in prominence, by making careful investments in faculty, students, staff, and in infrastructure. But we are now at a critical stage in our future. We are understaffed at the faculty level: to address new initiatives in education and outreach; to address research needs in food security, environmental quality and sustainability, and biobased products; and to take advantage of new interdisciplinary funding opportunities. Therefore, our highest and most immediate priority is to fill two faculty vacancies in basic and mission-oriented programs. We must also repair and upgrade our greenhouses on both campuses and the phytotron (growth-chamber) facility in Columbus. These targeted investments are critical to maintain and grow our leadership role in plant health science and serve our stakeholders at all levels. 1 This page intentionally left blank. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... 1 OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT .................................................................................................. 9 Background, Mission, and Vision ................................................................................................... 9 Departmental Status and Reputation ............................................................................................. 11 Strategic Planning and Self-Study ................................................................................................ 13 Historical Synopsis ....................................................................................................................... 15 FACULTY IN PLANT PATHOLOGY ................................................................................................. 17 Trends ........................................................................................................................................... 17 Position Priorities, Recruitment, and Hiring ................................................................................. 18 Diversity ........................................................................................................................................ 20 Retention of Faculty ...................................................................................................................... 20 Mentoring and Incorporation of Faculty into the Workings of the Department ........................... 21 RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP ...................................................................................................... 27 Research Foci and Diversity of Faculty Programs ........................................................................ 28 Plant Pathology Research in Relation to the College’s Signature Areas ...................................... 30 Research Impact ............................................................................................................................ 36 Funding for Research .................................................................................................................... 36 A Sampling of Selected Impact Statements .................................................................................. 39 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 48 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND STUDENTS .............................................................................. 49 Undergraduate Programs .............................................................................................................. 50 Undergraduate Major ....................................................................................................... 50 Curriculum for the PHM Major ........................................................................................ 50 Semester Changes ............................................................................................................. 51 Plant Pathology Minor ...................................................................................................... 51 Numbers, Trends, and Impact .......................................................................................... 51 Attrition ............................................................................................................................. 52 Scholarships ...................................................................................................................... 52 Undergraduate Student Organization ............................................................................... 53 Outreach and Recruitment ............................................................................................... 53 Recruitment Challenges ................................................................................................... 54 Recruitment Strategies ...................................................................................................... 55 Interns and Student Assistants ......................................................................................... 56 Undergraduate Credit Hours ............................................................................................ 57 Graduate Program ......................................................................................................................... 58 Overview and Administration .......................................................................................... 58 Degrees and Degree Requirements .................................................................................. 59 3 Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Program (PMBB) ..................................... 60 Trends and Demographics ............................................................................................... 60 Graduate Credit Hours ..................................................................................................... 61 Financial Support for Graduate Students ......................................................................... 61 Graduate Recruitment ...................................................................................................... 63 Plant Pathology Graduate Students Association (PPGSA) .............................................. 63 Quality of the Graduate Program .................................................................................................. 64 NRC Study ....................................................................................................................... 64 Ohio State’s Doctoral Assessment – 2007 ....................................................................... 66 Some Statistics