Prof Steve Stack and his research group are among the recipients of a prestigious 2014 Secretary’s Honor Award for Increasing Global Food Supply from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).  The winners were formally recognized at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, November 6, 2014.  The Secretary’s Honor Awards are among the highest accolades from the USDA, recognizing noteworthy accomplishments that significantly contribute to the advancement of USDA’s strategic goals, mission objectives, and overall management excellence.  Dr. Stack’s research group is part of the Tomato Genomics and Fruit Biology Group, and were recognized “For tomato genome sequencing and its pioneering use for biological insights applicable toward fruit ripening, quality, shelf‐life, and associated food security in tomato and other crops.”  Dr. Stack’s unique contribution is in using “old-school” cytogenetics and chromosome mapping to inform modern genomics, and that the placement of A’s, T’s, G’s and C’s into context requires more than DNA sequencing machines and computers.  Please join us in congratulating Dr. Stack and his dedicated team!!

The Stack research team (L to R): Lindsay Shearer, Dr. Lorinda Anderson, Suzanne Royer and Dr. Steve Stack.