Complete Story
03/17/2008
Dorrance Awarded the 2008 ASA Special Meritorious Award
Contact:
Jamie Butts
Communications Director
614-476-3100
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 17, 2008
Dorrance Awarded the 2008 ASA Special Meritorious Award
Columbus, OH - Dr. Anne Dorrance, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center soybean researcher and Ohio State University Associate Professor of plant pathology, was recently awarded the American Soybean Association (ASA) Special Meritorious Award during the Commodity Classic in Nashville, TN. Dr. Dorrance was nominated for this award by the Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) to recognize the years of dedicated service and research expertise she has given to Ohio's soybean industry.
''Dr. Dorrance is extremely dedicated and has worked hard on behalf of soybean producers for many years,'' said Mark Watkins, OSA President. ''She is a distinguished researcher and embraces the input of soybean producers.''
While she has made many research contributions to the soybean industry, one of the most important is the discovery of the Phytophthora resistance locus, Rps8. With this new resistant technology already being licensed to the soybean breeding industry, the discovery of these genes promises to have a big impact on disease resistance.
Another major contribution that Dr. Dorrance has made, and continues to make to the soybean industry is her leadership in soybean rust research. She led the team that developed antibodies that can be used to diagnose soybean rust spores, and currently serves as a project manager of the Ohio and national sentinel plot maintenance system, looking for soybean rust as well as other diseases.
As a nationally and internationally recognized leader in the field of soybean pathology, Dr. Dorrance is a frequent speaker about issues related to soybean diseases and disease management and works closely with Ohio county extensions. Her extension responsibilities include the development and implementation of disease management programs in Ohio, with an emphasis on soybeans, wheat and corn.
''Dr. Dorrance has always been a strong advocate for extension education,'' said John Lumpe, OSA Executive Director. ''She played a major role in the development of intensive soybean disease short courses and other production agriculture education programs, helping to keep Ohio soybean farmers informed of what's happening with disease resistance research.''
Dr. Dorrance holds a Master of Science degree in Plant Pathology from the University of Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. in the same field from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She has been with The Ohio State University-Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center since 1997, and has published many articles related to soybean research and disease resistance.
''The research that Dr. Dorrance has produced has been a valuable asset to Ohio soybean producers,'' said Watkins. ''She has already accomplished so much for production agriculture in the state and throughout the country, and we look forward to seeing what she will accomplish for the Ohio soybean industry in the future.''
The Ohio Soybean Association is governed by a 24-member volunteer farmer board dedicated to education and promotion, as well as to uniting producer interest through support of legislative activities beneficial to the Ohio soybean industry.
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