W. Ronnie Coffman
Chair, Dept. of Plant Breeding & Genetics & Director of International Programs
240 Emerson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853
Telephone: (607) 255-2554, Fax: (607) 255-9499

 

I currently serve as Chair of the Department. Faculty responsibilities include plant breeding activities related to international agriculture; maintaining a liaison with national and international agencies, foundations and centers and arranging for students to conduct research abroad in cooperation with appropriate institutions; serving as a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Field of International Agriculture as well as the Field of Plant Breeding and Biometry; serving as an advisor to students interested in plant breeding as it pertains to international agriculture, particularly students from other countries and those interested in conducting research abroad.

I also serve as Director of International Programs (IP) for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). IP/CALS provides support for the international activities of CALS faculty, students and staff covering a wide range of efforts: scientific exchanges, overseas research, undergraduate and graduate education, professional development, short courses, technical assistance, advising, publications, and other outreach.

Selected Publications:

Coffman, W. R. 1998. The Future of Plant Breeding in Public Institutions. Proc. Americ. Seed Trade Association. Chicago, IL.

Mackill, D. J., D. Garrity, and W. R. Coffman, 1997. Rainfed Lowland Rice. IRRI, Los
Baños, Philippines.

Coffman, W. R. and D. M. Bates, 1993. History of crop improvement in sustainable
agriculture. In M. B. Callaway and C. A. Francis, ed., Crop Improvement for Sustainable
Agricultural Systems. University of Nebraska Press.

Coffman, W. R. and B. O. Juliano, 1987. Rice. In Nutritional Quality of Cereal Grains:
genetic and agronomic improvement. Amer. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI, USA.

Hargrove, T. R., V. L. Cabanilla, and W. R. Coffman. 1988. Twenty years of rice
breeding. The role of semidwarf varieties in rice breeding for Asian farmers and the effects
on cytoplasmic diversity. Bioscience 38: 675-681.

McCouch, S. R., G. Kochert, Z. Yu, Z. Wang, G. S. Khush, W. R. Coffman, and S. D.
Tanksley, 1988. Molecular mapping of the rice nuclear genome. Theor. Appl. Genet.
76:815-829.