Dr. Michael Wisniewski, USDA-ARS, Kearneysville
Dr. Wisniewski has conducted fundamental and applied research on postharvest biocontrol of fruits and vegetables for over thirty years. He is internationally recognized as one of the leading founders of this topic of research. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed publications on this topic, numerous book chapters, and holds several patents on biocontrol technology. He was the co-inventor of the first yeast-based biocontrol product, “Aspire” which was commercialized by Ecogen, Inc.
He was the recipient of several Cooperative Research and Development Grants that helped to develop the first commercial biocontrol yeast product and has conducted collaborative research with scientists from many different countries around the world, including Uruguay, Colombia, China, Italy, and Israel. He is recognized as a world authority on the subject of postharvest biocontrol and founded and served as the co-chair of the ISHS working group on postharvest biocontrol.
He was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Horticulture Science and received their Outstanding Researcher Award. He has also received the Outstanding Senior Scientist Award from the USDA-ARS, as well as several Technology Transfer Awards. Lastly, he has hosted graduate students from around the world to work on various topics related to postharvest pathology and biocontrol.