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Larry F. Grand is a professor of plant pathology in the Department of Plant Pathology at North Carolina State University. Dr. Grand received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in forestry from The Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. degree at Washington State University in 1967. In the same year, he accepted a joint appointment as assistant professor in the departments of Plant Pathology and Forestry at North Carolina State University. He has taught a variety of courses including mycology, forest pathology, and plant disease diagnosis. He has made effective use of the Internet to post illustrated disease profiles and developed a virtual campus tour of plant diseases on the North Carolina State campus that students can take from the comfort of their easy chair in front of their computer or they can walk to the featured plants based on a detailed campus map pinpointing the plant’s location. Dr. Grand consistently receives excellent student evaluations year after year. Students rate his courses and instruction near 4.9 on a 5-point scale. Some of their comments include “he motivated me to do my best,” and “enjoyed this class more than any I have had,” and “Dr. Grand has had a real impact on my career.” Many of the comments reflect Dr. Grand’s teaching philosophy as stated by Robert Frost, “I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” As the Departmental Graduate Recruitment Coordinator, he developed a color slide set for use in presenting recruitment talks with a companion syllabus and a portable display of color photographs depicting various aspects of research, teaching, and extension activities of the department. For his unexcelled proficiency in the classroom, his innovative skills in developing teaching materials, and an outgoing personality that reaches out to young people, Dr. Larry F. Grand appears to be eminently worthy of recognition for the APS Excellence in Teaching Award.
