Norman W. Schaad was born in Myrtle Point, Oregon. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in 1964, 1966, and 1969, all from the University of California at Davis. After postdoctoral work with C. I. Kado on the molecular biology and ecology of Erwinia rubrifaciens, he moved to the University of Georgia, Griffin, where he attained the rank of professor in 1982. Since then he has held appointments at the University of Idaho, as manager of biotechnology and plant pathology for Harris Moran Seed Company, and as research leader of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Foreign Disease–Weed Science Research Unit at Fort Detrick, Maryland, where he currently serves as a research phytobacteriologist.
Dr. Schaad is known internationally for his research in the ecology, epidemiology, and control of plant-pathogenic bacteria, as exemplified by his early work leading to the practical control of black rot of cabbage. These studies revealed the potential for Xanthomonas campestris to survive over extended periods of time in asymptomatic cruciferous weeds and plant debris and to spread via wind-blown rain. Dr. Schaad is also highly respected for his many contributions to the identification and taxonomy of bacterial plant pathogens. Culture media he developed are used routinely in seed health testing worldwide, resulting in significant reductions in crop losses, and he pioneered the development and use of numerous serological and DNA-based diagnostic tools. In recent years he has become recognized as a leader in the area of crop biosecurity and the development of rapid PCR-based biosensors for detecting deliberately released pathogens.
One of Dr. Schaad’s major contributions has been as editor of three editions of the Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant- Pathogenic Bacteria. Over 7,500 copies of the book have been sold, and it has become a standard text for teaching and research in phytobacteriology. In total, he is the author or co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed papers, four U.S. patents, four books, and numerous book chapters. He has served APS as chair of the Bacteriology and Seed Pathology committees, as a member of the Office of International Programs Advisory Board and chair of the OIP Research Committee, and as an associate editor of Phytopathology.
