Rutgers logo
Department of Plant Biology
  • Personnel

Faculty

Gary Altman

Gary L. Altman

Foran Hall, Room 370

Teaching Instructor

Foran Hall, Room 370

Horticultural Therapy, People-Plant Relationships, Rehabilitation Counseling, Vocational Rehabilitation, Vocational Evaluation and Return to Work Coordination, Green Industry Job Development/Job Placement

Dr. Sonia Arora

Dr. Sonia Arora

Foran Hall, Room 206B

Assistant Teaching Professor

Foran Hall, Room 206B

Medicinal plants, ethnopharmacology, structural bioinformatics, computer aided drug design, nutraceuticals, natural products & human health

Thierry Besancon

Dr. Thierry E. Besancon

Philip E. Marucci Center, Blueberry/Cranberry Research

Associate Extension Specialist in Weed Science

Philip E. Marucci Center, Blueberry/Cranberry Research

Plant Protection and Biotic and Abiotic Interactions

Stacy Bonos headshot.

Dr. Stacy Bonos

Foran Hall, Room 239

Professor

Foran Hall, Room 239

Plant breeding and genetic improvement; perennial grasses for turf and biofuel; inheritance of disease resistance and stress tolerance; molecular and traditional breeding approaches

Raul Cabrera headshot.

Dr. Raul I Cabrera

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center

Associate Extension Specialist in Nursery Production & Management

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center

Sustainable Agricultural Systems

Ming Yi Chou

Dr. Ming-Yi Chou

Foran Hall, Room 339A

Assistant Extension Specialist and Professor in Turfgrass Pathology

Foran Hall, Room 339A

Turfgrass Pathology, microbial ecology, multi-omic, fungicide efficacy

Tiemi Curry

Dr. Tiemi N. Curry

Foran Hall, Room 237B

Research Associate

Foran Hall, Room 237B

Plant tissue culture/biotechnology: plant cell, tissue and organ culture – research development and production; plant micropropagation, for selected, highly valued Rutgers hybrid breeding programs

Rong Di headshot.

Dr. Rong Di

Foran Hall, Room 222

Assistant Professor

Foran Hall, Room 222

Molecular biology/biotechnology: molecular biology, biotechnology, nutraceuticals, biofuel

Dr. Ed Durner

Dr. Edward Francis Durner

Foran Hall Room 286

Associate Professor

Foran Hall Room 286

Plant management: applied physiology; statistics; CSA management, student farms, organic food production, Physalis production, statistical analysis

Matthew Elmore

Dr. Matthew Elmore

Foran Hall, Room 296A

Associate Extension Specialist

Foran Hall, Room 296A

Weed science in turfgrass, landscapes, pastures and forages

Andrea Gallavotti headshot.

Dr. Andrea Gallavotti

Plant development/molecular biology: maize genetics and functional genomics; plant architecture; meristem development

Joseph Goffreda headshot.

Dr. Joseph Goffreda

Foran Hall Room 280

Associate Professor

Foran Hall Room 280

Plant breeding and genetic improvement: peach, nectarine, apple, and apricot breeding

Ann Gould

Dr. Ann Brooks Gould

Martin Hall, Room 109

SEBS - Dean of Academic Programs

Martin Hall, Room 109

Plant pathology: woody and herbaceous ornamental crop pathology

Serpil Guran headshot.

Dr. Serpil Guran

New Jersey Ecocomplex

Courtesy Professor

New Jersey Ecocomplex

Food-Energy-Water Nexus and Waste synergy by promoting integration of organic waste into development of closed-loop bio-economy

Joseph Heckman

Dr. Joseph R. Heckman

Foran Hall, Room 182

Extension Specialist in Soil Fertility

Foran Hall, Room 182

Plant management: Soil, soil fertility, soil testing, mineral nutrition, plant health, organic farming, organic farming history, compost, traditional food systems

Josh Honig headshot.

Dr. Josh A. Honig

Foran Hall, Room 239A

Assistant Research Professor

Foran Hall, Room 239A

Plant molecular biology/plant breeding: DNA genotyping, DNA fingerprinting, DNA sequencing, genetic linkage mapping, and marker assisted selection (MAS), turfgrass breeding

Bingru Huang

Dr. Bingru Huang

Foran Hall, Room 301A

Distinguished Professor

Foran Hall, Room 301A

Turfgrass stress physiology/biochemistry/molecular biology

Rodolfo Juliani headshot.

Dr. Hector Rodolfo Juliani

Foran Hall, Room 396D

Part-Time Lecturer

Foran Hall, Room 396D
Donald Kobayashi headshot.

Dr. Donald Y. Kobayashi

Professor, Department Chair

Eric Lam headshot.

Dr. Eric Lam

Foran Hall, Room 216

Distinguished Professor

Foran Hall, Room 216

Epigenetics; programmed cell death; stress tolerance; renewable biomass; duckweeds; RNA therapeutics

Michael Lawton

Dr. Michael Lawton

Foran Hall, Room 222A

Associate Professor

Foran Hall, Room 222A

Disease Resistance, Fungal and Bacterial Pathogens, Fusarium Head Blight, Toxins, Programmed Cell Death, Physcomitrella patens, Functional Genomics

Dr. Xiao-Ping Li

Dr. Xiao-Ping Li

Foran Hall, Room 208B

Associate Research Scientist

Foran Hall, Room 208B

Mechanisms of cellular toxicity of ricin and Shiga toxins. Fragment based antidotes development against ricin and Shiga toxins

Pal Maliga headshot.

Dr. Pal Maliga

Distinguished Professor

Molecular biology/biotechnology/ plant breeding and genetic improvement: plastid molecular biology

John McLaughlin headshot.

Dr. John McLaughlin

Foran Hall, Room 212A

Assistant Research Professor

Foran Hall, Room 212A

Yeast genetics, plant pathology, trichothecene mycotoxins, ribosome inactivating proteins

Meers Paul headshot.

Dr. Paul R. Meers

Foran Hall, Room 272

Assistant Teaching Professor, Undergraduate Program Director, Biotechnology

Foran Hall, Room 272

Membrane dynamics and intercellular vesicle transport (including membrane fusion; protein-lipid interactions): drug delivery/transfection technologies, nanotechnology, biofilms, spectroscopic assays and imaging

Thomas Molnar headshot.

Dr. Thomas J. Molnar

Foran Hall, Room 164

Associate Professor

Foran Hall, Room 164

Plant breeding and genetic improvement; ornamental and edible tree crops with a current focus on large-bracted dogwoods and hazelnuts

Xenia Morin

Dr. Xenia K. Morin

New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH), Suite 220

Associate Teaching Professor

New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH), Suite 220

Food systems studies. Local through global food production and its ability to respond to climate change while maintaining health, the environment and economic sustainability

Dr. James Murphy

Dr. James Murphy

Foran Hall, Room 270

Extension Specialist

Foran Hall, Room 270

Turfgrass management, turf edaphology, adaptation of turfgrass species and cultivars to traffic stress

Peter Oudemans

Dr. Peter Oudemans

Philip E. Marucci Center, Blueberry/Cranberry Research

Professor

Philip E. Marucci Center, Blueberry/Cranberry Research

Plant pathology: blueberry/cranberry, Colletrotrichum physalospora coleophoma, GIS, NEWA

Harna Patel

Dr. Harna Patel

Foran Hall, Room 386

Teaching Instructor

Foran Hall, Room 386
Nrupali Patel headshot.

Dr. Nrupali Patel

Foran Hall, Room 372

Assistant Teaching Professor, Director, Undergraduate Program in Plant Science

Foran Hall, Room 372

Plant Pathology, Molecular Biology, bacterial-fungal interactions, emerging plant bacterial diseases

Ilya Raskin headshot.

Dr. Ilya Raskin

Foran Hall, Room 226B

Distinguished Professor

Foran Hall, Room 226B

Biotechnology/phytochemistry/natural products/dietary supplements/functional foods/plant diversity/pharmacognosy/international development/biodiversity

Robson Mark

Dr. Mark Gregory Robson

Foran Hall, Room 186

Distinguished Professor, Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Education for Rutgers University—New Brunswick and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies

Foran Hall, Room 186

Pesticide toxicology, human and ecological risk assessment

Stephanie Rossi

Dr. Stephanie Rossi

Foran Hall, Room 301

Research Associate

Foran Hall, Room 301

Turfgrass abiotic stress physiology; plant biochemistry and metabolism, biotechnology

Dr. Gina Sideli

Dr. Gina Sideli

Assistant Professor

Plant breeding and genetic improvement; cranberry and blueberry; classical and molecular breeding; genomics and phenomics

James Simon headshot.

Dr. James E. Simon

Foran Hall, Room 396C

Distinguished Professor

Foran Hall, Room 396C

Plant diversity/natural products/plant breeding and genetic improvement: new crop development, plant domestication of high value crops, NonTimber Forest Species, sustainable development of indigenous resources

Lena Struwe headshot.

Dr. Lena Struwe

Foran Hall, Room 237

Professor

Foran Hall, Room 237

Global plant diversity and evolution, biogeography and spatial patterns, historic and contemporary ethnobotany and sustainable bioprospecting of natural products

Dr. Nilgun Tumer

Dr. Nilgun Tumer

Foran Hall, Room 204D

Distinguished Professor

Foran Hall, Room 204D

Molecular biology/biotechnology/biochemistry: molecular biology; cellular translation; viral infection

Dan Ward

Dr. Dan L. Ward

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center

Associate Extension Specialist in Pomology and Associate Research Professor

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center

Pomology - cultural practices and crop management for fruit crops

Jim White

Dr. James F. White, Jr.

Foran Hall, Room 294A

Professor

Foran Hall, Room 294A

Plant pathology; symbiosis; endophytic microbes; nutritional endosymbiotic systems; associative nitrogen fixation

Qing-Li Wu headshot.

Dr. Qing-Li Wu

Foran Hall, Room 396B

Associate Research Professor

Foran Hall, Room 396B

Natural products chemistry and plant medicine

Andy Wyenandt

Dr. C. Andrew Wyenandt

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center

Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center

Phytophthora capsici and anthracnose fruit rot control in bell and other peppers, cucurbit powdery and downy mildew control, fungicide resistance management, fungicide resistance guidelines, basil downy mildew control

Mark Zander

Dr. Mark Zander

Assistant Professor

Plant (epi)genomics, plant immunity, plant hormone signaling, transcriptional regulation, plant stress responses

Ning Zhang headshot.

Dr. Ning Zhang

Foran Hall, Room 201

Professor

Foran Hall, Room 201

Fungal biodiversity, phylogenetics and genomics; microbiomes associated with turfgrass and bioenergy plants; and molecular diagnosis of plant pathogens

Emeriti Faculty 

Jerry Baron headshot.

Dr. Jerry J. Baron

Professor Emeritus

Faith Belanger

Dr. Faith C. Belanger

Emeritus Associate Professor

Plant pathology/molecular biology/biotechnology: turfgrass molecular biology; endophyte interaction, fungal endophyte/grass interaction

Chee-Kok Chin headshot.

Dr. Chee-Kok Chin

Foran Hall

Professor Emeritus

Foran Hall
Dr. Bruce Clarke

Dr. Bruce B. Clarke

Foran Hall

Professor Emeritus

Foran Hall
Hugo Donner headshot.

Dr. Hugo K. Dooner

Professor Emeritus

Thomas Gianfagna headshot.

Dr. Thomas J. Gianfagna

Foran Hall Room 280

Emeritus Professor

Foran Hall Room 280

Postharvest pathology and physiology of fruit and cut flowers; Plant natural products and human health, endophytic fungi, mechanisms of disease resistance

Zane Helsel headshot.

Dr. Zane Helsel

Foran Hall, Room 237B

Emeritus Extension Specialist in Agriculture Energy

Foran Hall, Room 237B
Melvin Henninger headshot.

Dr. Melvin R. Henninger

Foran Hall

Professor Emeritus

Foran Hall
Bradley Hillman

Dr. Bradley I. Hillman

Martin Hall, Room 109

Emeritus Professor

Martin Hall, Room 109

Plant pathology/molecular biology/biotechnology: plant and fungal virology; fungal molecular biology; biocontrol

Harry Janes headshot.

Dr. Harry Janes

Foran Hall

Professor Emeritus

Foran Hall
Gojko Jelenkovic headshot.

Dr. Gojko Jelenkovic

Foran Hall

Professor Emeritus

Foran Hall
Norman Lalancette headshot.

Dr. Norman Lalancette

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center

Emeritus Associate Extension Specialist in Tree Fruit Pathology

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Thomas Leustek headshot.

Dr. Thomas Leustek

Emeritus Professor

Metabolic control and engineering of plant metabolism, sulfur assimilation, nutrition, sensing, amino acid biosynthesis and regulation

Brad Majek headshot.

Dr. Bradley Majek

Foran Hall

Professor Emeritus

Foran Hall
David Mears headshot.

Dr. David R. Mears

Foran Hall

Foran Hall
William Meyer headshot.

Dr. William A. Meyer

Foran Hall

Professor Emeritus

Foran Hall
Elwin Orton: headshot.

Dr. Elwin R. Orton

Foran Hall

Professor Emeritus

Foran Hall
Thomas Orton headshot.

Dr. Thomas J. Orton

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center

Professor Emeritus

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center
John Sacalis headshot.

Dr. John Sacalis

Foran Hall

Professor Emeritus

Foran Hall
Nick Vorsa

Dr. Nicholi Vorsa

Philip E. Marucci Center, Blueberry/Cranberry Research

Professor Emeritus

Philip E. Marucci Center, Blueberry/Cranberry Research
Barbara Zilinskas headshot.

Dr. Barbara Zilinskas

Foran Hall

Professor Emerita

Foran Hall