Cornell University Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics

ACADEMIC EDUCATION:

Year Degree Institution
1971 Ph.D. Cornell University
1967 M.S. University of Kentucky
1965 B.A./B.S. University of Kentucky

ACADEMIC RANKS:

Professor: 1981 - present
Associate Professor: N.A.
Assistant Professor: N.A.

PRIMARY DEPARTMENTAL PROGRAM AREA: Plant Breeding and International Development

AREAS OF EXPERTISE: Rice breeding, international agriculture, biotechnology

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Year Experience
1981-present International Professor of Plant Breeding
2001-present Director International Programs, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
2003-present Principle Investigator, Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II
2001-2006 Chair, Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics
2003-2004 Director, USAID Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II
1993-2001 Associate Dean for Research, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Director, Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
1986-1993 Chair Department of Plant Breeding
1971-1981 Rice Breeder, International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines

SABBATICALS AND STUDY LEAVES: Louisiana State University, 1977

HONORS AND AWARDS: 1993 Fellow, American Society of Agronomy; 2004 Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award, Agriculture & Life Sciences Alumni Association; 2005 International Agronomy Award, American Society of Agronomy; 2006 SUNY Chancellor Award for Excellence in Faculty Service.

REPRESENTATIVE ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITIES

CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES:
o Director of International Programs, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
o PI, Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS:

Coffman, W.R., W.H. Lesser and S.R. McCouch, 2006. Commercialization and the scientific research process. In Ehrenberg, R.G. (ed.) Science and the University.

Coffman, W.R., J.E. Alexander, D.J. BenDaniel, P.L. Carey, H.G. Craighead, C.R. Fay, P.A. Gould, J.S. Gross, J.E. Hunter, W.H. Lesser, S. Loker, J.N. MacLeod, J.J. Mingle, N.R. Scott, and A.F. Krattiger, 2003. The future of technology transfer at a major land grant university: Report of the Cornell University Land Grant Panel on Technology Transfer. IP Strategy Today 6: 1-41.

Coffman, W.R. 1998. The Future of Public Plant Breeding. In Proc. 53rd Ann. Corn & Sorghum Res Conf, 1998. American Seed Trade Association, Washington, DC.

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.

PROFESSIONAL OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES

I am working to establish a new model for International Programs of CALS that will respond to a broad array of faculty interests. The International Programs administrative platform supports several initiatives with numerous others pending. Over the past five years this program has attracted approximately $40M in new business. Major proposals under development will expand our Transnational Learning Initiative in Africa and increase the incomes of smallholder dairy and vegetable farmers in South Asia.

© 2006 Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University