Karen Snover-Clift

As Associate Director of the Northeast Regional Center, a component of the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN), my duties include maintaining a regional center capable of supporting the diagnostic needs of 12 northeastern states. My duties also include close interaction with land grant university diagnosticians, software engineers, university department chairs, and state and national regulatory personnel. I represent all NPDN member diagnosticians on the National NPDN operations committee. As Program Area Manager of the diagnostics committee, I provide leadership in the creation of Standard Operating Procedures, coordination of highly sophisticated, identification procedure training events, and maintaining active communications of significant events. As Program Area Manager of the national database committee, I provide leadership in the creation of Upload Guidelines for those submitting diagnostic identifications to the National Repository at Purdue University and in reviewing the host and pathogen EPA pest codes for appropriate content and accuracy. Serving as the National Quality Manager for the NPDN’s System for True, Accurate and Reliable Diagnostics (STAR-D) requires that I establish a strategic plan and oversee the STAR-D project development, prioritize activities, work with the NPDN executive and operations committees to establish a STAR-D Board, serve as liaison between the STAR-D Board, the auditor team and NPDN diagnosticians, manage the auditors’ preparedness and readiness, develop workshops and training modules to introduce NPDN members to STAR-D components, and provide diagnostic content for the development of the STAR-D documents. My extension teaching programs are geared toward audiences that include Master Gardeners, Extension Educators, other green industry members, and students. They focus on basic plant pathology, plant disease diagnostics, and the operation of the NEPDN. I am responsible for overseeing the diagnosis of plant diseases on a wide range of host plants such as woody ornamentals, herbaceous plants, fruits, vegetables, turfgrasses, and field crops, as well as conducting large scale surveys searching for harmful, introduced pathogens of high concern and those pathogens that are capable of causing significant damage to agricultural or natural environments and may be intentionally or accidentally introduced.

• Snover-Clift, K. L., Clement, P. A., Jablonski, R., Mungari, R. J., Mavrodieva, V. A., Negi, S., & Levy, L. (2007). First Report of the Plum pox virus on Plum in New York State. Plant Disease. 91:1512.
• Snover-Clift, K. L., & Nelson, E. B. (2001). Abstract: Evaluation of turfgrass phytonematode population distributions on a New York State putting green. Phytopathology. 91:S83.
• Snover-Clift, K. L., Lorbeer, J. W., & Holcomb, M. A. (1999). Abstract: Onion Seed Infection Levels Subsequent to Sequential Exposure of Onion Seed Stalks and Flower Parts to Aspergillus niger. Phytopathology. 89:S73.
• Snover-Clift, K. L., Loparco, D. P., & Lorbeer, J. W. (1999). Abstract: Systemic Infection of Onion Seedlings by Aspergillus niger and Fusarium sp. Phytopathology. 89:S73.

Newsletters

• Snover-Clift, K. L., & Dailey O'Brien, D. (2018). Save the Date for the STAR-D QMS workshop. p. 1 NPDN News Rachel McCarthy (ed.),.
• Snover-Clift, K. L. (2017). A New York State Oak Wilt Project: a few discoveries made and lessons learned. Branching Out Dawn Dailey O'Brien (ed.), Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
• Snover-Clift, K. L., & Dailey O'Brien, D. (2017). First STAR-D QMS Introduction Workshop-A Huge Success! p. 1-3 NPDN News Rachel McCarthy (ed.), NPDN.
• Snover-Clift, K. L., & Dailey O'Brien, D. (2017). QMS Is All Fun and Games (Well, At Least Partially!). p. 4-5? NPDN News Rachel McCarthy (ed.),.
• Snover-Clift, K. L., & Dailey O'Brien, D. (2017). QMS workshop participants perform mock audit-an exercise in applying STAR-D principles. p. 3-5 NPDN News Rachel McCarthy (ed.),.
• Snover-Clift, K. L., & Dailey O'Brien, D. (2017). The First NPDN Laboratory earns STAR-D Laboratory Accreditation. p. 1-2 NPDN News Rachel McCarthy (ed.), NPDN, Ithaca, NY.

Presentations and Activities

• Soybean Cyst Nematode Workshop: Suspect Nematode Sample Processing at the Cornell University Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic. Northeast Agribusiness Conference; Field Crop Dealer Component. November 2018. Northeast Agribusiness. Syracuse, NY.
• Soybean Cyst Nematode: Take the Test and Beat the Pest. 2018 Aurora Farm Field Day. July 2018. Soil and Crop Sciences Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University. Aurora, NY United States.
• Key points for collection and submission of oak wilt samples. NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Inspector Workshop Northeast Regional Meeting. June 2018. NYSDEC. Ithaca, NY.
• Oak Wilt; Biology, Testing & Tools...Methods to ensure quality sample submissions. NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Inspector Workshop Northeast Regional Meeting. June 2018. NYSDEC. Ithaca, NY.
• Oak Wilt; Discoveries in New York State. NPDN Northeast Regional Meeting. May 2018. NPDN. Ithaca, NY.
• Oak Wilt; New York's Diagnostic Discoveries. Northeast Forest Pest Council Meeting. March 2018. Northeast Forest Pest Council. Burlington, VT.
• BOLO for Plant Disease; Oak Wilt, Thousand Canker, Rose Rosette and more. Turf and Landscape Management Update Webinar. March 2018. Cornell Cooperative Extensionof Rensselaer County. Ithaca, N.Y.
• Oak Wilt & Sudden Oak Death; Two Harmful Pathogens Not Welcome Here! Invasive Species of Yard, Woods & Landscape Workshop. February 2018. Capital/Mohawk Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management. Voorheesville, N.Y.
• Basic Plant Pathology. Master Gardener Training Workshop. February 2018. CCE Saratoga County. Ballston Spa, NY and 3 other counties in Capital District.
• Diagnosing Plant Problems. Master Gardener Training Workshop. February 2018. CCE Saratoga County. Ballston Spa, NY and 3 other counties in Capital District.