One of the career options available for plant pathologists, or those interested in plant pathology, is within regulatory agencies. Regulatory agencies can function as places of research, clinical and other services, sources of information, but they operate under the overarching idea of plant protection through regulation, monitoring, exclusion, quarantine, and eradication.
Dr. Shouhua Wang, the State Plant Pathologist for the Nevada Department of Agriculture, shares his experience and advice as the plant pathologist for a state regulatory agency.
What is the primary function of your agency?
The Nevada Department of Agriculture was established in 1915 by Chapter 561, Nevada Revised Statutes. According to NRS 561.015, legislative declaration, the purpose of this agency is to benefit and to promote the welfare of all the people of the State of Nevada, and to promote the efficient, orderly and economical conduct of the various activities for the encouragement, advancement, and protection of the livestock and agricultural industries of the State of Nevada. The current mission of the agency is defined as “promotes a business climate that is fair, economically viable, and encourages a sustainable environment that serves to protect food, fiber, and human health and safety through effective service and education”. In my perspective, the function of our agency is to serve and protect agriculture and public via our regulatory programs and professionalism.
What is your role within this agency?
My role in the agency is in charge of plant pathology program in the Division of Plant Industry. This program, along with our other plant health programs, aims to help Nevada citizens and industries achieve their respective goals in plant health through integrated approaches of exclusion, early detection, eradication, surveillance, and management of plant diseases and disorders. The Plant Pathology Laboratory is a key component of our program that serves as a state plant diagnostic center, providing timely and reliable diagnostic and testing services to the state and federal plant health programs and statewide clientele. That said, my role is the state plant pathologist. Anyone in the state may ask me for help if he/she has a problem with a plant or a crop.
What work do you do in an average day?
That varies day to day, and it also depends on the season. On average, I work in the office on departmental and administrative requests, program and project management, reporting, and other duties. I also work in the lab and greenhouse to perform plant health diagnostics and related research on funded projects. This office-lab combination is my typical work day. During the summer, I spend more days working in agricultural fields than in the lab.
What is the most exciting work you’ve done?
As a plant pathologist, I become excited when I find an interesting plant disease. As to exciting work I have done, I would say that the effort of building a state plant pathology program over the years is an exciting experience. I am happy to see how we’ve improved our plant pathology program in Nevada, which includes the state-of-art plant pathology and nematology diagnostic laboratory, increased technical capability, the lab quality management system, and the quality of services provided to the general public, regulatory agencies, and extension programs.
How did you come to work for or choose this agency?
This is an interesting question. I had two position offers at that time, one was the postdoctoral position from a university and the other was my current position. It took me a day to make the decision, and I chose to come to Nevada; to be honest, I would enjoy research in an academic environment if I had a permanent position. My choice to accept a position in a regulatory agency was based on my career considerations. First, I convinced myself that it was time to start a career by accepting a permanent job. Second, I found out there was only one person in Nevada who had an APS membership, who was not even a plant pathologist; I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to develop a plant pathology program for the state. Third, I found that Reno was only three and half hours away from San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean, I don’t know why this was a factor but I felt it appealed to me.
What sort of events or passions led you to want this type of work?
There was no specific event leading me to regulatory work, rather, the professional passion that makes almost all the plant pathologists want to work in the area they have been trained in for years and the desire to use their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to make a difference in either academic, industry, or regulatory sectors. As I mentioned in previous questions, I was looking for a career. If I think what I do aligns well with my education and expertise, then the job is my career. I believe that working for a state government is a good career opportunity for plant pathologists.
What kind of experience or background did you have that made you a good candidate for your position?
I don’t know how the search committee members made their decisions; they are all retired but I wish I would have asked them. But I guess my research experience in fungal pathogens, nematodes, viruses, bacteria, and molecular diagnostics fits the position well; because as the sole plant pathologist to deal with all types of pathogens in the state I needed to be knowledgeable in all areas. During the interview, they asked me for both plant pathology and nematology experience, so I sensed that they were looking for someone who had been trained in both areas. It felt that my previous experience covered most areas of expertise they needed.
Why do you like working for this agency?
I would say I like working for the state. The reason is simple, I want to continue my efforts to serve the public by building a strong plant pathology program in the state. Nevada has over 3 million people with only 1 or 2 plant pathologists. This is far from enough to address all plant health issues in one state.
How is your agency different from a university or private industry or the non-regulatory area of your agency or day to day work?
I think there is significant difference from a university, as a university is a creative environment emphasizing research, teaching, and innovations with a different management style. State agency is more service oriented.
What do you look for in potential employees who want to come work with you?
In general, I look for people who 1) have a good education and work experience to fit the job, 2) have passion and are self-motivated, and 3) are easy to work with.
Are there any particular interests, trainings, or passion that you look for or want potential employees to have?
Yes. Young professionals who have interests in plant pathology and regulatory affairs, have good communication and leadership skills, and who are willing to work with the public or diverse clients, are encouraged to work in a state government agency.
What allows you, or anyone else, to thrive in this agency?
Hard work, dedication, continuing education, professionalism, and a good personality.
What advice do you have for graduate students and early career professionals about working for your agency or a similar agency?
Be prepared to 1) have broad knowledge and expertise in plant pathology and/or plant science, 2) be willing to interact with the public and clients, 3) be willing to adapt and adhere to the government management system, 4) periodically check if what they are currently doing (in school or current employment) aligns with their career or professions they intend to pursue.
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Early career professional peer, Kavita Mizin, M.S., answers questions about her position as one of the diagnosticians with the USDA-APHIS-PPQ-CPHST Beltsville Laboratory.
What is the primary function of your agency?
“Protecting American agriculture” which translates to finding regulated pathogens of concern and eradicating them.
What is your role within this agency?
I am a diagnostician, therefore, I receive suspect samples and test them for high consequence and regulated pathogens.
What work do you do in an average day?
Lots of administrative functions and lab maintenance. I am also the OSHA safety coordinator so I do accident reporting etc. When a sample comes in, it takes priority over all the other functions of my job. We aim to report out a sample’s diagnostic results within 36 hours.
What is the most exciting work you’ve done?
Working on high impact, high priority diagnostic samples.
How did you come to work for or choose this agency?
It was kind of a fluke. My master’s thesis was in agroecology and didn’t involve much pathology but I did some side research projects in the microbiome of tobacco leaves and that’s what got me this job! I was looking for a job that would be an easy transition from my master’s work.
What, if any passions does this work bring out in you?
After working here, I’ve decided I want to work more on the policy/regulatory side of our agency rather than science. As I mentioned before, my thesis research was in agroecology and promoting the sustainability of regional food systems, this is where I want to focus my energy in the long-term. However, I do feel my time working on the science side of my agency has given me a new, valuable perspective on how all the different functions of my agency work together.
Why do you like working for this agency?
I like feeling like I’m doing important work that matters, every day. And I like lording it over other people who work in industry who have no work-life balance. Working for the government is really nice. It allows me to have time for hobbies.
What do you look for in potential employees who want to come work with you?
I look for people with a sense of humor and those who are tactful, self-motivated, and trustworthy.
Are there any particular interests, trainings, or passion that you look for or want potential employees to have?
Not that I can think of.
What allows you, or anyone else, to thrive in this agency?
Seniority and a Ph.D. That’s just how the government works.
What advice do you have for graduate students and early career professionals about working for your agency or a similar agency?
It is a good job if you can get it. I suggest you find the YouTube video on how to apply for jobs on USAjobs, it is very helpful.
