Dr. Todd C. Wehner

Résumé

Address:

Present position:

  • Chief Science Officer, The Plant Pathways Co.
  • WNR Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, North Carolina State University
  • 80% Research
    • Breeding and genetics of pickling and slicing cucumber
    • Breeding and genetics of watermelon and specialty melons
    • Breeding and genetics of stevia and luffa gourd
    • Research on quantitative genetics, selection methods, plant architecture, polyploidy, and genetic resistance (disease, insect and cold)
  • 20% Teaching
    • 122 undergraduate interns (greenhouse, laboratory)
    • Train 38 graduate students (1 Ir., 1 M.H.S., 21 M.S., 14 Ph.D., 1 in progress)
    • Work with 34 postdocs and visiting scientists:
      • 7 postdoctoral research associates (Cramer, McCuistion, Xie, Joshi, Naegele, Dia, Rivera)
      • 25 visiting scientists (Bhyan, El-Metwally, Liu, Malik, P.Singh, S.Singh, Smeets, Song, Kumar, Xu, Kozik, S.Zhang, Klosinska, Taja-Moreno, Rajashree, Tumturk, Shi, W.Zhang, Kotch, Subramaniapillai, Aguado, Kang, Dapke, Buhara, Sari)
    • Teach “Plant breeding methods” (HS 541) and HS 541 DE (distance education)
    • Teach “Plant breeding overview” (HS 709) and HS 590 DE (distance education)
    • Teach “Integrated breeding databases” (HS 863) and HS 790 DE (distance education)
    • Teach other classes as needed:
      • HS 601 – Seminar techniques and technology:
      • HS 432 – Introductory vegetable crop production
      • CS,HS 492 – Introductory plant breeding
      • HS 534 – Vegetable crop production
      • CS,HS 745 DE – Quantitative genetics in plant breeding
      • CS 748 – Breeding for pest resistance
      • CS 860, 861 – Plant breeding lab
      • HS 621 – Methods of science
      • HS 695 – M.S. research
      • HS 895 – Ph.D. research
    • Co-chair for Ag*Idea plant breeding program for distance education (Fall, 2011 – 2016)
    • Coordinate the Plant Breeding seminar (Fall, 1993 – Fall, 2009)
    • Coordinate the departmental computer network (Spring, 1987 – Spring, 1995)
    • Supervisor for field, greenhouse and pathology technicians (1979 – 2011)
    • Secretarial supervisor for vegetable group (1987 – 1995)

Education:

Degree Institution Year Field
Ph. D. University of Wisconsin-Madison 1979 Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics
M. S. University of Wisconsin-Madison 1978 Agronomy
A. B. University of California-Berkeley 1975 Botany

Professional experience:

Date Position Institution
2020 – Present CSO-EVP Plant Pathways Co.
2019 – 2021 WNR Distinguished Professor Hort. Sci., North Carolina State University-Raleigh
2013 – Present Instructor Plant Breeding Academy-Africa (Kenya), Europe (Belgium) and Asia (Thailand)
2010 – 2019 Instructor DELTA, North Carolina State University-Raleigh
2006 – Present Instructor Plant Breeding Academy-America, UC-Davis
1989 – 2019 Professor Hort. Sci., North Carolina State University-Raleigh
2011 (5 Mo.) Visiting Professor Agronomy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
2007 – 2011 Assistant Dept. Head Hort. Sci., North Carolina State University-Raleigh
1986 (5 Mo.) Visiting Assoc. Professor Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison
1985 – 1989 Associate Professor Hort. Sci., North Carolina State University-Raleigh
1979 – 1985 Assistant Professor Hort. Sci., North Carolina State University-Raleigh
1975 – 1979 Research Assistant Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Study leaves:

  • Visiting Professor, Dept. Agron., Univ. Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (September to December, 2011)
  • Visiting associate professor, Dept. Hort., Univ. Wisconsin, Madison, WI (April to August, 1986)

Foreign experience:

  • Instructor: PBA-Limagrain, Riom, France (2017)
  • Instructor: PBA-Limagrain, Bangkok, Thailand (2016)
  • Instructor: PBA-Asia, Kanchanaburi, Thailand (2013)
  • Advisor: Guilin China, luohanguo producers (April 16-19, 2013)
  • Cucurbit germplasm expedition participant: Turkmenistan (July 25 to August 8, 2008)
  • Invited speaker: Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China (March 11-16, 2008)
  • Invited speaker: Research Institute of Vegetable Crops, Skierniewice, Poland July 8-12, 2004)
  • Invited speaker: Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China (June 2-9, 1999)
  • Invited speaker: International Heterosis Symposium, CIMMYT Mexico (August 17-23, 1997)
  • Cucurbit germplasm expedition participant: Republic S. Africa (April 24 to May 7, 1996)
  • Cucurbit germplasm expedition leader: P. R. China (July 11-28, 1994)
  • Advisor: Sri Lanka gherkin producers (November 29 to December 11, 1993)

Professional service:

  • Reviewer: Plant Breeding Program, University of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico (January 15-20, 2008)
  • Faculty senator (1996 to 1998)
  • Secretary: Gamma Sigma Delta (1990-1992)
  • Agronomy Graduate Student Association: President (1978-1979)

Professional skills:

  • Computing: FileMaker, FORTRAN, HTML, MS Word, network management, SAS
  • Languages: English (native), Spanish (read, speak), German (read)

Professional societies:

  • American Association for the Advancement of Science: 1990-2021
  • American Genetic Association
  • American Society for Horticultural Science
    • Chair: SR-ASHS Krezdorn award, 2002
    • Editor: Vegetable Cultivar List, 1995-2013
    • Member: Board of directors, 1997-1999
    • Chair: Publications committee, 1997-1999
    • Scientific committee: ASHS-Cucurbitaceae symposium, 1998
    • Chair: Vegetable Breeding working group, 1996-1997
    • Co-chair: ASHS-CSSA Plant Breeding symposium, 1993-1994
    • Program committee: 2nd ISHS Conference on In Vitro Culture and Hort. Breeding, 1993
    • Editor: Journal and HortScience, 1989-1992
    • Chair: Computer Applications in Horticulture working group, 1987-1988
    • Chair: Vegetable Publication Award committee, 1987-1988
    • Chair: Genetics and Germplasm working group, 1985-1986
    • Steering committee: Vegetable Breeding working group, 1981-1983
    • Member, National and Southern Region:  1979-2021
  • American Society of Agronomy
  • Council for Agricultural Science and Technology
  • Crop Science Society of America
  • Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative
    • Senior editor and website manager, 2005-2015
    • Editor: watermelon section, 2001-2004
    • Editor: cucumber section, 1982-1992
    • Curator: watermelon genes, 2000-2017
    • Curator: cucumber genes, 1980-2017
  • National Association of Plant Breeders
    • President, 2010-2011
  • Pickle Packers International
    • Chair: Pickling Cucumber Improvement Committee
    • Chair: National Cucumber Conference
  • Plant Breeding Center at North Carolina State University
    • Advisory Committee, 2007-2008
  • Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee
    • Secretary/web editor, 2007-2009; Vice chair, 2009-2010
  • Watermelon Research Group
    • Web editor 2007-2019; member, 1997-2019

Honors and awards:

  • Hall of Fame award (Pickle Packers International), 2020
  • Career award (EUCARPIA XI, Poland) – 2016
  • Lifetime Achievement award (Cucurbitaceae, Michigan) – 2014
  • Outstanding Graduate Educator, American Society for Horticultural Science – 2006
  • Sigma Iota Rho honor society for international relations – 2005
  • Vegetable Breeding Award of Excellence, American Society for Horticultural Science – 2004
  • Honored Member, Empire Who’s Who – 2004
  • Fellow, American Society for Horticultural Science – 2000
  • L. M. Ware Distinguished Research Award (ASHS, Southern Region) – 1997
  • Krezdorn Award (SR-ASHS doctoral research to student P. C. St. Amand) – 1996
  • Sigma Xi Outstanding Young Scientist Research Award – 1989
  • Sigma Xi scientific research society (Full Member) – 1988
  • L. M. Ware Distinguished Research Award (ASHS, Southern Region) – 1987
  • Marion W. Meadows Award (outstanding research-vegetable crops) – 1982
  • Phi Kappa Phi honor society – 1979
  • Gamma Sigma Delta honor society of agriculture – 1978
  • Argonne National Lab. Bicentennial Conference (training scholarship) – 1976