Christine Smart, professor of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, has been named interim director of the School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS), effective July 1.
She will take over for Alan Collmer, the Andrew J. and Grace B. Nichols Professor in the SIPS Section of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology when his two-year appointment as the school’s inaugural director concludes.
Launched in June 2014 to enhance the visibility and impact of the plant sciences at Cornell, the school integrated the departments of Horticulture, Plant Biology, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology and Soil and Crop Sciences into a single administrative unit within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). The college will conduct an open search for a new director.
“Alan Collmer transformed plant sciences at Cornell into a single dynamic school with a bold vision to meet major world challenges through agricultural innovation,” said Kathryn J. Boor, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS. “His legacy will be of a transformative thinker who broke down barriers to forge constructive collaboration across our top-ranked plant science disciplines. He established solid roots that will undoubtedly lead to continued innovation and discovery, and I thank him for his extraordinary efforts.”
Smart has broad professional experience encompassing research on fungal and bacterial plant pathogens, extension work in vegetable pathology, and outreach to K-12 students. At her lab at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, she explores ways to improve vegetable disease management while promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Most recently, she has served as head of the SIPS Council of Extension Leaders and initiated the “Skills for Public Engagement” class for undergraduate and graduate students.
“Chris Smart is a proven leader with stellar credentials who has earned the backing of the SIPS faculty and leadership. She steps in at a critical time as SIPS continues to develop as a global leader in plant sciences,” said Beth Ahner, senior associate dean and professor of Biological and Environmental Engineering.
The search committee to identify a permanent director will be led by Greg Martin, professor in the Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section and the Boyce Schulze Downey Professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute. Other members of the search committee are being identified.
The leadership transition announcement was made during the grand opening for the SIPS office complex in 135 Plant Science Building, which includes offices for the SIPS director and staff, visiting faculty and a conference facility with state-of-the-art video linkage technology.
“Project Manager Sarah Hayes expertly guided us through the critical decision points in the project,” Collmer said. “It is remarkable how pleasingly and functionally all of the spaces fit together to make a great home for the School.”
Go to Plant Science Destinations for more information about the SIPS offices and other plant-related points of interest.
