The recognition acknowledges Rane’s contribution to ensuring crop security in the US
Image Credit: Edwin Remsberg
When a new pest or plant pathogen begins to emerge somewhere across the country, plant diagnosticians get to work. A national network of crop scene investigators, as they’re affectionately known, start piecing together the puzzle of how and where the outbreak began. Their work is the core mission of the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN), which was established in 2002 by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Office of Homeland Security to maintain a central database and network of laboratories for monitoring agricultural pests and pathogens in the US.
Last month, the NPDN bestowed a lifetime achievement award upon the University of Maryland’s Plant Diagnostic Laboratory Director, Karen Rane, for her contributions to that mission.
“Since the beginning, NPDN has benefited from Rane’s practical experience and advice,” read the NPDN award announcement, “whether it was in developing training tools, setting priorities or mentoring new diagnosticians.”
Rane has served on multiple NPDN committees, including the National Data Committee, which she has been a part of since its inception. She also serves on the Professional Development Committee and the Proficiency Committee, which work to provide opportunities for new and experienced plant diagnosticians to sharpen their diagnostic skills, learn new techniques and improve accuracy of plant pest and pathogen detection. Rane was one of three recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Awards given to mark the NPDN’s 20th anniversary at the organization’s annual meeting in May, 2022.
“It was certainly a surprise to receive this award and I'm extremely proud and honored to have been nominated by my diagnostic peers,” Rane said. “It's humbling to be in the company of the other awardees who are such exemplary diagnosticians.”
Rane earned her B.S. in ornamental horticulture from Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture (Now Delaware Valley University), her master’s degree in flora culture from Cornell University and her Ph.D. in plant pathology from the University of Massachusetts. She came to Maryland in 2008 after serving as the codirector of Purdue University’s Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory.
