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ANNUAL REPORT: June 1, 2008 – May 31, 2009
(i.e., Summer 2008, AY 2008-2009)
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY
SUNY-ESF
NAME: William A. Powell
I. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES
1. Regular Course Offerings
Course No.
Title
Credit
Hrs.
No.
Students
No. of Lab.
Sections
SUMMER:
BTC420
Internships in Biotechnology (1 students in #2 below)
(3 high school student internships, see #3 below)
FALL:
EFB307
EFB307
Principles of Genetics
Genetics Lab
3
1
209
205
BTC497
BTC425
EFB625
Research Dsgn & Prof Develop
Plant Biotechnology
Plant Biotechnology
1
1
1
16
16
3
9
SPRING:
2. Non-Scheduled Course Offerings (e.g., 496, 899, 999)
Course No.
BTC420
BTC498
EFB495
EFB798
EFB898
EFB899
EFB999
ESF499
Title
Internships in Biotechnology
Research Problems/Biotech
Undergrad teaching experience
Graduate research problems
Professional Experience
Masters Thesis Research
Dissertation Research
Honors Thesis Project
Credit
Hrs.
No.
Students
8
16
3
3
2
17
13
3
2
6
1
1
1
3
1
1
3. Continuing Education and Extension (short courses, workshops, etc.)
3 High School Interships: William Polachek, Elizabeth Shoenfely, and Rachael Sommers. William Polachek is
accepted into Harvard, Elizabeth Polachek is accepted into Princeton, and Rachael is a senior in high school. Elizabeth
Polachek won 1st place in MOST Science Fair (March 2009), "Sequencing the Full-Length DNA Binding/Zinc Ion
Binding/Ethylene Transcription Factor Gene of the Chinese and American Chestnut with cDNA Library Colony Lift,
Hybridization, and Genome-Walking Protocols", entered in Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Reno,
Nevada.
4. Guest Lecture Activities
Course No.
EFB132
BTC132
Title
Freshman seminar (EFB)
Freshman Seminar (BTC)
No. of Lectures
2
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II. STUDENT ADVISING
A. Number of undergraduates for whom you are the student’s official advisor __22___ and unofficial advisor __~62
as coordinator of the biotechnology major___
B. Graduate Students: (Name, degree sought, starting date, month & year; if a degree was completed, please give
date and full citation for the thesis or dissertation).
MAJOR PROFESSOR
1. Nicholas Kaczmar, MS, started May 2005, graduate December 2008
Thesis title: Field Testing of transgenic American elm (Ulmus americana L.) expressing an antimicrobial peptide
transgene: Vascular anatomy and resistance to Ophiostoma novo-ulmi, 2008, 131 pp.
2. Kathleen Baier, MS, started August 2006
3. Amelia Bo Zhang, PhD, started August 2006
4. Katherine D’Amico, MS, started August 2008
5. Dannielle Loranger, MS, started January 2009 (currently on medical leave of absence)
6. Brittany Cronk, MPS in Plant Biotechnology, started January 2007
CO-MAJOR PROFESSOR
1. Allison Oakes, MS, (with Dr. Maynard), started May 2009
MEMBER, STEERING COMMITTEE (other than those listed above)
1. Keith Post, MS, started F2006 (graduated May 2009)
2. Emily Pully, MS, started F2006 (graduated December 2008)
3. Christina Quinn, MS, started F2007
4. Arnold Salazar, Ph.D., started 2007?
CHAIRMAN OR READER ON THESIS EXAMS, ETC.
1. Kathleen Pitcher – examiner
2. Som Mukherjee - examiner
III. RESEARCH COMPLETED OR UNDERWAY
A. Departmental Research (unsupported, boot-legged; title - % time spent)
Continuing research on transgenic American elm even though grant funding has ended. – 3%
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B. 1. Grant-supported Research (source, subject, amount - total award and current year, award period starting
and ending dates; list graduate research assistants supported by each grant)
1.
New. Consortium on Plant Biotechnology Research (CPBR). Collaborative research: Developing blight
resitance in transgenic American chestnut for agroforestry and restoration. $100,000 (1/1/09-12/31/09) PI
with Dr. Maynard and Dr. Merkle (Univ. of Georgia) as co-PIs. Will support one Ph.D. student
2.
New - USDA-Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grant program (BRAG), Evaluating Environmental Impacts
Of Transgenic American Chestnut Trees To Chestnut Trees Produced By Conventional Breeding. $380,000
(10/1/08-9/30/11). PI with co-PIs, Dr. Maynard, Dr. Horton, Dr. Parry, and Dr. Leopold. Supported one
technician this year but will support 5 summer graduate stipends in the last two years..
3.
ArborGen LLC/IFB, Transformation of American chestnut with genes encoding transcription factors.
$460,000 (1/1/02 – 12/31/09, final year. PI with Dr. Maynard and Dr. Merkle as Co-PIs. Current year:
$50,000; Supports a technician, Linda McGuigan, and supplies for student research.
4.
The New York Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation. Testing Transgenic Events for Gene Copy
Number, Gene Expression, and Blight Resistance. $100,000 (5/08-6/10). PI with Dr. Maynard as co-PI.
Supports summer graduate student in my lab and a technician.
5.
The New York Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation. Regenerating Transformation Events into Whole
Plants and Expansion of Field Trials. $300,000 (5/08-6/11). Co-Director with Dr. Maynard. This is in addition
to the grant above. It will support a technician in Dr. Maynard’s lab, a summer graduate student in my lab,
and hourly undergraduate students for field research.
6.
Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research (CPBR) fellowship. $60,000 (6/1/08-5/31/09). PI with Dr.
Maynard as Co-PI. Supports a summer graduate student.
2. Research Proposals pending (as in B.1., above)
Forest Health Initiative (FHI), advancing forest health through biotechnology (consortium of U.S. Endowment for
Forestry and Communities, U.S. Forest Service, and Duke Energy). $5.2 million, multi-institutional grant (SUNYESF, Penn State, NC State, U. of Georgia, Clemson, and TACF. Transgenic American chestnut research at SUNYESF is asking for $1.33 million over 3 years, with possibility of a 3-year renewal. PI with Dr. Maynard as co-PI.
IV. PUBLICATIONS (Full bibliographic citation, i.e., do not use "with Jones," or "Jones, et al."; please list only
publications published, in press, or actually submitted during this reporting period --- do not list manuscripts
in preparation).
A. Refereed Publications
Barakat, A., D. S. DiLoreto, Y. Zhang, C. Smith, K. Baier, W. A. Powell, N. Wheeler, R. Sederoff, J. E.
Carlson. 2009. Comparison of the transcriptomes of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) and Chinese
chestnut (Castanea mollissima) in response to the chestnut blight infection. BMC Plant Biology 9:51 (pp. 111)
B. Non-refereed Publications
Several news articles, didn’t keep track.
C. Papers Presented at Science Meetings (give title, date, occasion, and location)
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Progress on genetic engineering of American chestnut. Jan. 28-29, 2009, Forest Health Initiative (FHI), advancing
forest health through biotechnology Research Triangle park, NC. ~ 30 attending.
D. Public Service Presentations (lectures, seminars, etc. to and for the public; give group or occasion, date(s), and
attendance)
Update on transgenic American chestnut. Oct. 18-19, 2008. New York State Chapter of The American Chestnut
Foundation. Hosted by us on the ESF Campus with tours of the research labs, greenhouses, and field plantings. ~40
attending.
V. PUBLIC SERVICE
A. Funded Service (include consulting activities)
1. Government Agencies (Federal, State, Local):
2. Industrial and Commercial Groups, etc.
B. Unfunded Service to Governmental Agencies, Public Interest Groups, etc.
Advisor to the NY chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation
VI. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A. Professional Honors and Awards (for teaching, research, outreach, etc.)
B. 1. Activities in Professional Organizations (offices held, service as chairman, member, participant or
consultant)
I am the Chairman of the Symposium on transgenic research in Fagaceae. This is part of an upcoming meeting (Nov.
10-13, 2009) entitled, “Genomics of forest and ecosystem health in the Fagaceae (Beech Family) to be held at the
Research Triangle park in NC.
2. Professional Society Membership
American Phytopathological Society
American Association for the Advancement of Science
3. Other Professional Activities
a. Editorial activity
Journal (s)
Responsibility
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Other (books, symposia, etc.)
b. Reviewer
Journal(s)
No. of manuscripts
Plant Cell Reports
Australian Journal of Botany
Agency
1
1
No. of proposals
EPSCoR/IDeA GEAR program (SC)
SUNY-ESFD Seed grant program
1
2
Other (text book chapter review)
Pierce’s Essential Genetics
2 chapters
c. Participation (workshops, symposia, etc.)
Name of workshop, etc.
Date
Place
C. Further Education/Re-training Undertaken, Leaves, Workshops, etc.
D. Foreign Travel (Where, When, Purpose)
VII. ADMINISTRATIVE AND SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES (include committee participation)
A. Department-level
Chair of Molecular & Cellular Biology Faculty position.
Search was successful
Member of EFB’s Promotion & Tenure Committee
Coordinator for the undergraduate Biotechnology major
Actively involved in development of assessment tools among other duties.
Acting Chair when needed
Acting Curriculum Director as needed
B. College-level
Executive chair of Faculty Governance
This was a very difficult year with the Secretary of faculty Governance stepping down before I began and having no
replacement until the spring semester. We also lost the SUNY senator. Governance was in a bit of disarray when I
took office. Even with that, we were able to revise the bylaws and to hold five interesting meetings.
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Director of the Council on Biotechnology in Forestry
Represented faculty and programs in the area of biotechnology to the administration and off-campus community.
IBC (Institutional Biosafety Committee) member
Ad-hoc Dubai committee member - discuss the possibility of offering an ESF biotechnology degree through
N.A.R.D. in Dubai.
C. University-wide, including Research Foundation
VIII. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING THIS
REPORTING PERIOD, ESPECIALLY THOSE MOST NOTEWORTHY AND RELATIVE TO THE
COLLEGE’S AND DEPARTMENT’S MISSION. One paragraph on each of the following would be most helpful:
this past year, what have you done for our students, department/college, and self professionally? NOTE: The
information in this section (along with the supporting specific information elsewhere in this report) should be your
strongest case for being considered for a discretionary raise, which I’ll continue to award based on your contributions to
the department and college this reporting period.
Highlights of what I have done for our students:
In addition to serving as the biotechnology coordinator, teaching one of the larger courses in EFB (Principles of
genetics with 209 students), a specialty course in Plant Biotechnology, and one of the core biotechnology major
courses, I have many (maybe the most) undergraduate research projects, BTC497, in my lab with 6 undergraduate
students taking 16 hours of research. In addition, I have taught three high school students over the summer who went
on to win awards in their science fairs and have been accepted into top universities. This demonstrates my commitment
to giving as many research experiences as possible to interested students at all levels of their educational program. I
can only do this because of my success at attracting research grants (see section IIIB).
Highlights of what I have done for our department and college:
For our department, I chaired a successful faculty search to replace Larry Smart and Annette Kretzer. I have also
continued too be a member of the Promotion and Tenure Committee even when my term as Chair was over. I have
participated wherever is needed by standing in as Chair, as Curriculum Director, participating in open houses, giving
seminars to freshmen, etc. For our college, I stepped in as the executive chair of faculty governance at a time when this
organization appeared to be collapsing. There is more work to do, but even with the loss of two key members we were
able to edit the bylaws, have five good meetings, and carry out all the needed business.
Highlights of what I have done for myself professionally:
I believe what I do for ESF is closely linked to what I do for myself. Each benefits the other. The big thing this year is
that we have reached a new phase in our American chestnut research. Just as we are planting an order of magnitude
more transgenic tress in the field, the research funds are also growing. Last year I reported that we had an opportunity
to tap into a $10 million dollar grant to support this research. Because of the downturn in the economy, this money has
dropped to $5.2 million and at the same time several more institutions are trying to win part of these funds. Even with
these challenges, we are hoping to bring in about $1.3 million to the ESF campus. This has been a long and hard
process, but if we are successful, it will greatly benefit ESF and myself professionally. Lastly, I am a little over a year
from my next sabbatical leave and I have started making plans to “hit the road” and promote the American chestnut
restoration research at ESF during this time. I have even considered writing a book.
IX. A. FUTURE PLANS, AMBITIONS, AND POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR YOUR OWN
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE PROGRAM IN
ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY (brief summary)
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I will continue to try and serve our students and faculty colleagues. I hope to have a significant success with the
chestnut research during the coming year, but we have to wait and see. I will have more publications coming out next
year than this because they are already being written. As mention above, I am making plans for my sabbatical leave.
Otherwise, I think I am doing well and will strive to continue to do so.
B. PROJECTED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT YEAR
Again, I think I have done well this year and hope to continue in the same way. So all of the below will be the same as
last year.
1. Summer 2009
a. Course(s) to be offered
b. Proposed research activity
c. University, professional society, and public service
2. Fall Semester 2009
a. Course(s) to be offered
b. Proposed research activity
c. University, Professional society, and public service
3. Spring Semester 2010
a. Course(s) to be offered
b. Proposed research activity
c. University, professional society, and public service