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Christine (Chris) D. Smart has contributed tremendously to the American Phytopathological Society, to the education of graduate and undergraduate students and postdoctoral associates, to elementary school students who she has mentored over the past 10 years and to agricultural stakeholders. Chris Smart was born in Minnesota and received a B.S. (1986) and a Ph.D. (1992) from Michigan State University. In her current position as Professor in the Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University she has contributed significantly to our understanding of the biology and management of plant pathogens and plant diseases. Bill Fry, who was her postdoctoral mentor and department chair, stated that she is one of the most effective, dynamic, and creative persons he has ever known.

As a leader in APS, Smart is currently a senior editor of APS Press; she has served as associate editor for Plant Disease (2010-2013) and for Phytopathology (2003-2006). She has been a dynamic member of the APS Leadership Institute (co-chair in 2009-2012). She has served two terms on the Biochemistry, Physiology & Molecular Biology Committee being vice- chair and chair in 2004/5 and 2005/6, respectively. As an author she has published 32 articles in APS journals. While working tirelessly for APS, Smart has also been highly productive at Cornell University, publishing over 80 papers in refereed journals. Smart’s excellence in outreach and public engagement was recognized in her selection as the first chair of the Council of Extension Leaders for Cornell’s new School of Integrative Plant Science. Smart has also stepped forward to teach an innovative course entitled ‘Skills for Public Engagement’ for students in the plant sciences.

Smart is recognized especially as an effective spokesperson for the discipline of plant pathology. No member of any of her 100’s of audiences leaves one of her talks without recognizing the importance of plant pathology. However, her influence is not limited to her extension clientele or her peers. She has worked to have a very positive impact on the general public of all ages. For example, although it was not in her job description she started a program in her upstate New York community of Geneva, NY to enhance elementary science education and bring agricultural science to Geneva public school 3rd and 4th grade students. The students plant a garden, tend it over the summer and harvest the produce in the fall. This program also brings Cornell faculty to the school, and the elementary students to Cornell, where graduate and undergraduate students get involved in the outreach. Smart also helped to create a summer Science Camp in the district. Since the program started, the number of students who pass the New York State mandated science test has increased from 85% to 93%, and there has been a 50% increase in 4H program enrollment. The Science Camp has now been ongoing for 11 years and continues to flourish.

Smart’s research is focused on addressing several of the major vegetable diseases across NY. She is known internationally for the work she and her students have done on Phytophthora blight of vegetables. Her research has led to real-world solutions for vegetable diseases, and Smart is most effective in communicating recommendations based on this research to growers. Her audiences are quite diverse ranging from organic growers to operators of large conventional vegetable farms. They all hold her in the highest regard and appreciate what she does for them. She is a popular speaker due to her knowledge and sincerity. For the organic producers, she developed a “Pest Management Guide” for organic vegetables. The conventional farmers demonstrated their appreciation by successfully lobbying the New York State Legislature to construct a research farm just for her – so that she could specifically do field experiments on Phytophthora blight of vegetables. These field experiments are having great impact on farm businesses. Smart attracts excellent graduate students and provides a stimulating environment in which they blossom. She motivates her students to apply for diverse sources of funding, because she strongly believes that graduate students need practice in preparing proposals. Two of her students have successfully applied for NSF Fellowships, and two others have received fellowships from NIFA. Her graduate students recently nominated her successfully to be an inaugural recipient of the Graduate and Professional Student Award for mentoring. She and two others were the only faculty among the 1,600 tenure track faculty at Cornell University to receive this first ever award.

Although Smart is located at Cornell’s Geneva campus and does not have a formal teaching responsibility, she is still a mentor to many undergraduates. Smart initiated a program on the Geneva campus to host undergraduate students from across the country in research programs. She instigated the idea, obtained some supporters among the faculty and obtained needed funding. This idea has evolved into an outstanding summer experience for 25 to 30 undergraduates each year and now includes students working in all four of the academic departments in Geneva. The “summer scholar” experience has encouraged many undergraduates to enter graduate school. Smart typically hosts two to four scholars each summer, all of whom are highly appreciative of the mentoring they receive in her laboratory and many of whom have decided to pursue graduate education in plant pathology. Some have volunteered to write letters of recommendation for Smart’s most recent promotion to Professor at Cornell.

Chris Smart has developed a most productive and dynamic program that thrives on her seemingly limitless energy, and a creativity that knows no bounds. When others are searching unsuccessfully for ideas to address a situation, she has a dozen good ideas. More often than not, she has ideas before others have recognized a problem or an opportunity, and her recommendations are frequently implemented successfully. She is highly regarded by those who have the pleasure to work with her.