Thomas A. Melton

Education

• High School, June 1974, South Mecklenburg High School, Pineville, NC
• B. S. Botany, May l978, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
• M. Ag. Pest Management, May l980, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
• Ph. D. Plant Pathology, January 1985, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Work Experience

• Assistant Extension IPM Plant Pathologist, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. May l980 August l984. 100% extension. Member of IPM team to educate growers and county advisers on principles of IPM. Served as extension nematologist, field crops pathologist, and nematode diagnostic center coordinator.
• Instructor and IPM Extension Plant Pathologist, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. August l984 January l985. Responsibilities same as above.
• Assistant Professor and Extension IPM Plant Pathologist/Nematologist, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. January l985 December l987. Responsibilities as above plus graduate education, research in nematology, and more extensive extension nematology program.
• Member of Graduate Faculty, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. August l986 December l987.
• Extension Project Leader, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. July l987 December l987. Same as above plus administrative leader for extension plant pathology. Responsibilities included budget and personnel responsibility for three extension faculty and the Plant Diagnostic Clinic.
• Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Plant Pathology Department, North Carolina State University at Raleigh. Responsibilities were to develop, refine, and disseminate disease management strategies and tactics for flue-cured tobacco through educational programs to Extension faculty, tobacco producers, and industry personnel. Provide disease diagnostic (300-400 times/yr) and management support for field faculty. Conduct 25-30 field tests per year on plant disease management.
• Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Plant Pathology Department, North Carolina State University at Raleigh. July 1992 - June 1994. Responsibilities same as above.
• Philip Morris Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Plant Pathology Department, North Carolina State University at Raleigh. July 1995 - June 1997. Responsibilities same as above.
• Philip Morris Professor and Extension Specialist, Plant Pathology Department, North Carolina State University at Raleigh. July 1997 - January 1999 Responsibilities same as above.
• Professor and Department Extension Leader, Plant Pathology Department, North Carolina State University at Raleigh. February 1999 -present. Responsibilities (including small grains and forages) same as above plus leading and mentoring 9 Ph.D., 2 M.S. extension plant pathologists, who are responsible for disease diagnosis as well as developing, refining, and disseminating disease management strategies and tactics for all plant diseases in North Carolina.. I also supervise the extension bookkeeper and the secretary and managed the state extension budget for Plant Pathology.

Professional Honors

• Philip Morris Professorship (Endowed)
• Award for Distinguished Achievement in Tobacco Science (international recognition with $10,000 cash award)
• The Sigma Xi Research Society
• Gamma Sigma Delta
• Laura M. Weber Extension Fellowship, 1981 1984
• Outstanding Young Men of America, Outstanding Young Men of l986
• Outstanding Young Men of America, Outstanding Young Men of l987
• Epsilon Sigma Phi, Honorary Extension Fraternity
• Outstanding Service to Agriculture in Beaufort County, North Carolina

Professional License and Certificate

• NC Public Pesticide Operator (N.O.)
• Certified Professional Plant Pathologist, ARCPACS

Supplemental Training

• 1994: NCSU International Program's Beginning Spanish, 1995 Beginning II
• 1995: Facing the Media, 1-day workshop, American Phytopathological Society
• 1997: Supervisory Training, 1 day, CES Annual Conference, Raleigh, NC
• 1999: Coaching to Success, 2-day workshop, College of Management.
• 1999: Expert Witness Training, 1-day workshop, American Phytopathological Society
• 2000: A Molecular Primer, 1-day update on molecular biology, American Phytopathological Society.
• 2001: Catching Up on Mycology, 1-day short course, American Phytopathological Society

Professional Memberships

• American Phytopathological Society
• Society of Nematologists
• North Carolina Association of Cooperative Extension Specialists, Board of Directors 1999-2001
• Plant Pathology Society of North Carolina, Organizing committee 1999-2000
• Crop Protection Association of North Carolina

Invited Presentations/Consulting

• 1984: Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky. The Illinois Integrated Pest Management Program.
• 1984: Department of Plant Pathology, North Dakota State University, The Illinois Integrated Pest Management Program.
• 1984 1985: Crop Mate Corp. Disease Scouting in Corn and Soybeans.
• 1984 1987: Growmark, F. S., Inc. Disease Scouting in Corn and Soybeans.
• 1984: Purdue University Field Crop Scouting School. Scouting and Identification of Corn Diseases.
• 1985: The Professional Crop Consultants of Illinois. Update of Field Crop Diseases.
• 1985: Purdue University Field Crop Scouting School. Scouting and identification of Soybean and Alfalfa Diseases.
• 1985: Entomological Society of America, North Central Regional Meetings. Nematodes: Their Relationship to Stress and Corn Yields.
• 1985: American Cyanamid Technical Representative Training Session. Nematodes: Their Relationship to Stress and Corn Yields.
• 1985: Corn Soybean Insurance Adjusters' Workshop. Hail and Crop Disease.
• 1986: The Professional Crop Consultants of Illinois. Soybean Diseases.
• 1986: National Soybean Breeder Pathologist Workshop. The SCN Race Situation in the Northern U. S.
• 1986: Illinois Crop Improvement Inspector Workshops.
• 1986: Bergman Taylor Seed Co. The Soybean Cyst Nematode.
• 1986: Carter Consulting. Effects of Disease on Soybean Seed Quality.
• 1987: The Professional Crop Consultants of Illinois. The Soybean Cyst Nematode and Sudden Death Syndrome.
• 1987: Central Alfalfa Improvement Conference. The Status of Alfalfa-Parasitic Nematodes in Illinois.
• 1987: Growmark FS Inc., Regional Technical Training Meeting.
• 1987: North Carolina State University. The Illinois Extension IPM Program An Extension Plant Pathologist's Perspective.
• 1988: Soybean Cyst Nematode Workshop, Charleston, SC. "SCN" Management An Extension Approach.
• 1988: Rhone Poulenc Tobacco Seminar, Charleston, SC. Management of Root Knot Nematode on Tobacco.
• 1988: Mobay Corporation, Kansas City, MO. Trends in Root Knot Management and Research on Tobacco in North Carolina.
• 1988: N. C. Crop Consultants Assoc., Raleigh, NC. Philosophy of Tobacco Disease Management.
• 1989: Guilford County Extension Program Review
• 1989: Virginia Agric. Extension Service. Target Spot and Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. In-service training for county agents.
• 1990: Rhone-Poulenc Tobacco Seminar, Hilton Head, SC. Root-Knot Management Using Non-fumigant Nematicides.
• 1990: Landis International, Tifton, GA. Extent, Severity, and Control of Root-Knot Nematodes in Tobacco.
• 1990: Mobay Corporation, Raleigh, NC. New Trends in Root-Knot Management Recommendations.
• 1990: SC Extension Service, Tobacco Disease Management in Greenhouses. In-service education for county agents.
• 1990: Horry County Extension Service. Tobacco Disease Management in Greenhouses.
• 1991: Davie County Extension Program Review
• 1991: Philip Morris International, Tobacco Tour. Current Tobacco Disease Problems in the United States.
• 1991: Chilean Nitrate Corp. Nitrate Nitrogen Fertilizer and Crops Production Techniques for High Quality Flue-Cured and Burley Tobacco. Tobacco Disease Control.
• 1991: American Phytopathological Society Graduate Student Committee. Forum on Career Opportunities. Future Directions for Extension Plant Pathology.
• 1991: Carolina Greenhouses, Inc. Tobacco Disease Management in Greenhouses.
• 1991: Speedling, Inc. Distributor Meeting, Tobacco Disease Management in Greenhouses.
• 1992: TADESA Tobacco Disease Seminar, Tepic, MX. Lecture and Lab (8 hours)
• 1993: Pee Dee Research & Education Center, South Carolina. Greenhouse Industry Meeting (Sanitation and Disease Concerns).
• 1993: Southern Piedmont Experiment Station. Blackstone, VA. Flue-Cured Tobacco Rotation Summit (Rotations that Affect Tobacco). Virginia Soil Conservation Service.
• 1993: Harnett County Extension Review
• 1994: SQM Nitrate. Puerto Vallarta, MX., 1. Tobacco disease management. 2. IPM in tobacco
• 1995: University of Georgia. Greenhouse disease management and efficacy of Chlor-O-Pic in the field, Tobacco Agent Training.
• 1995: Virginia Tech. Greenhouse disease management, Tobacco Agent Training.
• 1995: Dimethomorph for black shank management, American Cyanamid Dealer Training.
• 1995: Ciba Crop Protection. Update on black shank and blue mold, Ciba Sales Representative Training.
• 1996: American Phytopathological Society, Southern Division. Needs for control of new and resurging diseases: Target spot in tobacco. (Discussion session).
• 1996: University of Georgia. Tobacco Agent Training. Blue Mold forecasting using the world wide web.
• 1997: Root Knot and Friends. "Moving Targets" for Host Resistance in Tobacco. Colloquium: Host Resistance as a Central Component of IPM APS Annual Meeting, Rochester, NY.
• 1997: Abbot Laboratories. Root Knot Control in Tobacco with a Biological Nematicide, Jacksonville, FL.
• 1997: Bayer Corp. Advances in Nematode Management in Tobacco, Tobacco Summit, Raleigh, NC.
• 1997: Fungicide, Fumigant and Nematicide Advisory WWW Expert System. New Technology in Agriculture.
• 1997: Crop Improvement Association of North Carolina. Annual Meeting.
• 1997: Tobacco Disease Management: Seminar for Guatamalan Agronomists, Novartis, RTP.
• 1998: American Cyanamid, Future of dimethomorph in black shank management, Tampa, FL
• 1998: Novartis, Future of tobacco black shank management in flue-cured tobacco, Tampa, Florida
• 1998: Dow AgroSciences, Fumigants for disease control in southern crops, Desden, Florida
• 1998: Zeneca, Aoxystrobin possibilities in tobacco, Memphis, TN.
• 1998: Philip Morris East-European Agronomists, Tobacco Disease Management, Richmond, VA.
• 1999: Important Tobacco Diseases in Argentina, Keynote speaker for Argentine Crop Protection Conference.
• 1999: Masaline Particulares, Tobacco Diseases, JuJuy, Argentina
• 1999: Disease diagnosis and field evaluations, central and northern Brazil, Universal Leaf Tobacco Co.
• 2000: Tobacco Disease Management Discussion, Novartis, FL
• 2000: Fungicide Use on Tobacco Seedlings, NCDA&CS Pesticide Division
• 2003: Field disease diagnosis and management review, Nayarit area of Mexico, Universal Leaf Tobacco Co.

Appointments to Study Sections and Boards

• 1988-1989: USDA Carbofuran Assessment Panel
• 1993, 1995: Editorial Advisory Board, Plant Health Guide, Meistor Publishing, Willoughby, Ohio
• 1997-present: N. C. Crop Improvement Association, Certification Advisory Board
• 1998-present: Crop Protection Association of North Carolina, Board Member
• 2002: EPA Review Panel for Methyl Bromide Critical Use Exemptions, Lead Biologist