To meet the needs of its expanding business in seed health testing and other plant pathology services, STA Laboratories has hired two plant pathologists. Dr. Kai-shu Ling assumes the position of Plant Pathology Manager in our Gilroy, California facility. Mr. Brent Swan, M.Sc. candidate, has been hired to oversee the bacteriology testing services in Colorado, including the ever important testing for bacterial fruit blotch.

Dr. Ling received his Ph. D. in plant pathology from Cornell University in 1995. His Ph. D. study and postdoctoral research was under the direction of the world renowned virologist, Professor Dennis Gonsalves. In the last 10 years, Dr. Ling's research was concentrated mainly in molecular characterization of grapevine leafroll associated viruses and the study towards genetic control of grapevine diseases. His achievement in grapevine research included two granted United States patents on grapevine leafroll virus sequences and their uses, and numerous peer-reviewed publications under this subject. In the last three years, he was a scientist for a biotech startup company to develop disease resistant grapevines through genetic improvement.

Mr. Swan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management in 1999 from Colorado State University. As an undergraduate he received numerous academic recognitions, including five consecutive semesters on the Dean’s Honor List and acceptance into the Golden Key Honor Society. During the summer of 1997, Brent interned with STA Laboratories. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, he immediately entered graduate school at CSU and will finish his Master of Science degree in Plant Pathology this spring. In graduate school Brent applied his skills and knowledge to the development of innovative disease severity assessment systems in turf grass pathology. He also managed the CSU Cereal and Turf Pathology Laboratory for two years and provided technical backstopping and support to fellow graduate students. Brent is a member of the American Phytopathological Society and Rocky Mountain Turfgrass Research Foundation.

"Our continued expansion into seed health for flowers, turf and agronomic crops, not to mention substantial growth in our other plant pathology services, has resulted in a need to round-out our plant pathology staff", states Darrell Maddox, president of STA Laboratories. "We are excited to have both Kai-shu and Brent apply their unique experiences to our growing professional staff and our client services"