Cornell research and extension faculty members who work to combat diseases in vegetable crops, improve the quality and shelf life of milk products and control the growth of weeds have been recognized by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS).

The awards were made during the first CALS Research and Extension Awards program, held Nov. 17, during the fall meeting of the CALS Advisory Council in Ithaca.

"To be recognized by one's peers and then have the ceremony in the presence of the Advisory Council is very meaningful for all participants, especially the honorees," said James L. Vincent, CALS Advisory Council member and president of L-Brooke Farms Inc. "It's just one way we can all say 'thank you' for a job well done."

The awards recognize a broad range of accomplishments and contribute to the college's vision to be the pre-eminent college for research, teaching and extension of agriculture and life sciences, for developing leaders and for addressing the global challenges of the 21st century.

The categories and their recipients:

Career Accomplishments: Tom Zitter, professor of plant pathology.

Outstanding Accomplishments in Applied Research: Robin Bellinder, professor of horticulture.

Outstanding Accomplishments in Extension/Outreach: Dairy Foods Extension Team, which includes Kathryn Boor, associate professor; David Brown, senior extension associate (emeritus); Steven Murphy, senior extension associate; Robert Ralyea, extension associate; David Bandler, professor emeritus; and Janene Lucia, executive staff assistant, all from the Department of Food Science.

Zitter's award recognized a career devoted to improving vegetable crop production by reducing losses from diseases. While at Cornell, his work has focused on diseases of fresh market vegetables with an emphasis on diseases of cucurbits and, more recently, potatoes. He came to Cornell in 1979, following 11 years at the University of Florida. Among his many accomplishments are his Web site, Vegetable MD Online http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/, which receives nearly one million hits yearly from researchers and educators across the country, and two compendia he edited -- "Tomato Diseases" and "Diseases of Cucurbits" -- which are on the shelves of virtually every extension educator and vegetable grower in North America.

"The Career Accomplishment Award from CALS is special since there are so many faculty in CALS who are also worthy of this award," Zitter said. "It is a highlight of my career, but I feel there is so much more work that needs to be done."

Zitter's other awards include an Excellence in Extension Award from the American Phytopathological Society, Excellence in Integrated Pest Management Award from the state's Integrated Pest Management Program and Educational Excellence in Web Page Development. His appointment with Cornell is 30 percent research, 70 percent extension.

Bellinder, who received the applied research award, is considered "the most important resource person [New York vegetable growers] have at Cornell." She directs an innovative research program that encompasses all weed control options ranging from the use and application of chemical agents to cultural practices. Bellinder's work extends beyond New York state to efforts with farmers in northern India and Nepal where her research and training efforts include practical ways of controlling dominant weed species, the use of effective and safe spray equipment, and adoption of protective clothing for applicators.

Bellinder's annual Weed Day attracts growers from across the Northeast, and many of her graduate students are now industry scientists, extension professionals and applied researchers. She has served as vice president, president-elect and president of the Northeastern Weed Science Society. Her appointment with Cornell is 45 percent research, 55 percent extension.

The work of the Dairy Foods Extension Team is recognized throughout New York state, particularly for the Cornell Milk Quality Improvement Program. Nearly all fluid milk processing plants in the state, as well as New York's five major cottage cheese processing plants, are visited twice yearly by the team. The team also works with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to provide annual training programs in the dairy industry to on-farm certified milk inspectors and analytical laboratory personnel.

"Our team is driven by the goal of achieving continuous improvement in the quality of New York state dairy products, by our desire to ensure the safety and wholesomeness of these products, and by our commitment to the dairy farmers of [the state], who provide the funding for our program," said Boor, who is the team leader and principal investigator with the Milk Quality Improvement Program. "We were all surprised and especially honored to have received this award for outstanding accomplishment in extension on its first offering."