Dr. Lee Schisler was named an Outstanding Alumnus of the College of Agricultural Sciences for 2007. Dr. Schisler, a Penn State Professor Emeritus of Plant Pathology, is an internationally renowned researcher and educator who devoted his entire career to helping the mushroom industry. After receiving his bachelor's and master's degrees in botany from Penn State, Dr. Schisler worked as an agricultural chemicals researcher for the American Chemical Paint Co. in 1952. He served as a corporal in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps from 1952 to 1954 before returning to Penn State to earn his doctorate in botany and plant pathology. Schisler was director of Penn State's Mushroom Research Center from 1968 until 1988, and in 1974 and 1975, he took a sabbatical leave to serve as an honorary visiting professor at the University of British Columbia.

Lee and Lois Schisler

Dr. Herbert Cole, Jr., was named an Outstanding Alumnus of the College of Agricultural Sciences for 2006. Dr. Cole received his B.S. in Agronomy, M.S. in Botany, and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from Penn State. Dr. Cole retired as Professor Emeritus of Plant Pathology in 2005 after more than 50 years of service to the university, including seven years as head of the Department of Plant Pathology.

Dr. Cole is known for his research and educational programs on the control of plant diseases using low-cost, environmentally sound techniques; the effect of tillage systems on the fate of pesticides in soil and water; and sustainable agriculture methods.

Dr. Herbert Cole, Jr.

Dr. Paul J. Wuest was named an Outstanding Alumnus of the College of Agricultural Sciences for 2004. Dr. Wuest received his B.S. in horticulture and doctorate in plant pathology from Penn State. He joined the Penn State faculty in 1964 and retired as Professor Emeritus of Plant Pathology in 1999.

Dr. Wuest is an internationally renowned scientist and educator who devoted his career to helping the mushroom industry. He focused his efforts on identifying and finding practical solutions to the needs of the mushroom industry. Dr. Wuest did this through thorough on-site problem identification and prioritization, obtaining resources needed to overcome problems, conducting and leading adaptive research to identify solutions, and extending practical solutions to growers by a multitude of highly effective methods. Some of his major university accomplishments include: (a) publication of a comprehensive mushroom production handbook, which is used throughout the world by mushroom farmers; (b) managing and directing a highly successful IPM project currently used in Europe, Asia and the Americas; (c) co-development of ventilation, soil treatment, and spawning systems which have propelled domestic producers to be among the best mushroom producers in the world; (d) writing a manual that provides a methodology for the farm community to operate without detracting from the environment; (e) conducting and promoting extension education programs that have aided in establishing another generation of mushroom farmers to carry on this Pennsylvania tradition; and (f) establishment of an intern program for graduate and undergraduate students interested in mushroom spawn production, performance evaluation and improvement.

The Outstanding Alumnus award recognizes his outstanding service the mushroom industry and his active and integral role as an educator and member of the Plant Pathology department and University community.

Eileen D. Watson is a leader of a global re-engineering project for Syngenta, a world-leading agribusiness specializing in
crop protection and commercial seed distribution. She also has served as Syngenta's business planning and forecasting redesign leader. Previously, Watson worked as vice president of product portfolio management in the marketing department of Novartis Crop Protection Inc. and as global head of product management for the Novartis fungicides unit, stationed in Basel, Switzerland. She also held positions at Ciba-Geigy Corporation, where she managed commercial and regulatory affairs. Watson earned a bachelor's degree in plant pathology at Cornell University in 1975. She obtained a master's degree in plant breeding from the University of Nevada at Reno in 1978 and earned a doctorate in plant pathology from Penn State in 1982.

Eileen D. Watson and Leonard Francl