Overview

In 2007, I`ve continued as Cornell`s Vice Provost for Life Sciences. In this position I am responsible to promote and administer the New Life Sciences Initiative, including the hiring of new faculty, planning for new buildings, developing shared core research facilities, and supporting educational and training activities based on Cornell`s comprehensive investments in the life sciences.

Research Focus

My research objectives are: (1) to identify regions of the sorghum and maize genomes which have been fixed through evolution, domestication, or crop improvement and associate these selective sweeps with useful types and traits, (2) to characterize and understand the relationship between DNA sequence variation and desirable phenotype, (3) to identify both conserved sequences across grass/grain families and genera and rapidly evolving sequences between species and individuals to predict gene diversity and function, (4) to characterize molecular diversity of sorghum and maize in natural populations, landraces, and elite germplasm, and (5) to develop and test strategies to efficiently discover, conserve, and use variation in natural populations and genebank collections by integrating current advances in genomics, bioinformatics, and plant genetics/breeding. In support of Cornell University`s commitment to global conservation and agricultural initiatives, I serve as Director of the Institute for Genomic Diversity.

Additional Links

• http://www.igd.cornell.edu/index.html
• Link to CALS Research portal
• Link to CALS Impact statements

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