Thomas Burr named to chair plant pathology department at Ag Station

By John Zakour

Thomas Burr has been appointed chair of the Department of Plant Pathology at Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y. He replaces outgoing chair Helene Dillard, who has accepted the position of associate director of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ithaca.

"Tom has been a productive member of the department of plant pathology for 24 years," said Geneva Agricultural Experiment Station director James E. Hunter. "He understands the mission of the station and has great loyalty to Cornell. His range of experience will be helpful as he assumes this important role. I am confident he will provide the leadership the department needs to remain a productive and cohesive unit, and I look forward to working with him."

When asked his thoughts on becoming chair, Burr said: "I am very pleased to have this opportunity. For many years our department has been recognized as one of the best, and it is an honor to assume a leadership role."

Burr's main goal for the department will be to continue to help provide an environment within the department and interactions with other departments at the station that are conducive to excellence in research, extension and graduate student training.

"Our programs are quite diverse in plant pathology. We need to maintain a balance between applied and basic research so that we can provide answers to disease problems for the agriculture industry of New York," he said.

Burr feels the department's main strengths are the work ethic, enthusiasm and friendliness of the entire unit.

"Our faculty and staff are highly productive," he said. "Graduate students and postdocs are becoming an important part of our department and add greatly to the productivity and overall environment. We are doing some outstanding research and it is great to see people who are excited about being a part of it."

Burr received his B.S. in agricultural science with an emphasis in plant pathology from the University of Arizona in 1971 and his M.S. in plant pathology in 1973, also from Arizona. He received his Ph.D. in plant pathology from the University of California-Berkeley in 1978. His research and extension deals with diseases of fruit crops with an emphasis on bacterial diseases. Major projects include the biology and control of grape crown gall, development of transgenic grapes for disease resistance and determining mechanisms of fungal-induced apple russet. His extension efforts include support of field extension staff on fruit disease diagnosis and control.