Chronica - Acta Horticulturae

Dr. Avanzato is a Horticultural Engineer working
in Rome as a scientist at CRA - Istituto
Sperimentale per la Frutticoltura. Author of
many scientific and technical papers on propagation
and plant genetic resources, he developed
an original grafting method recognized
by the Italian Minister of Agriculture. He has
been convener and member of the organizing
and scientific committees of several international
conferences and ISHS symposia. He has also
acted as independent expert on walnut propagation
and on fruit sector rehabilitation for the
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization,
United Nations), especially involving projects in
the former communist countries, as well as in
India and Iran. His present position is Senior
Researcher in the Orchard Department where
he is involved with the recovery of fruit genetic
resources and their integration in the National
Centre of Fruit Germplasm (CNGF) of Rome.
WILLIAM ROCA
Dr. William Roca has
been confirmed as the
new Chair of the ISHS
Section Root and Tuber
Crops (2006-2010). Dr.
Roca succeeds Dr.
Stanley Kays in this
office.
William Roca is a Plant
Cell Physiologist (PhD)
William Roca
with a BSc Degree in
Biology/Plant Physiology.
He has been
supervisor of several PhD and MSc research theses
and of numerous projects on genetic resources
of root and tuber crops, author of many
scientific and technical papers on plant genetic
resources and biotechnology, and author of
various chapter books, a book and manuals on
similar topics.
Dr. Roca has received special distinctions such
as “Latin American and Caribbean Sciences
Academy” (since 2002); the “Outstanding
Senior Staff Award” at CIAT (1995) and the
“Latin American and Caribbean Medal of Plant
Biotechnology” by the REDBIO, presented by
FAO (1995).
He has Professional Memberships in: Sigma XI
Scientific Society, Cornell Chapter; Latin
American and Caribbean Academy of Sciences;
Latin American and Caribbean Plant Biotechnology
Network (FAO-REDBIO), and the American
and Latin American Potato Associations. He is
also a Visiting Professor of the National
Agrarian University (UNALM), Lima, Peru.
During 1972-1973 he worked as a Research
Associate in the Lab. for Cell Physiology,
Growth and Development at Cornell University,
Ithaca, NY, USA. From 1973-1978, he was
Scientist at the Plant Physiology Unit of the
International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru.
From 1978-1984, he was Senior Scientist at the
Genetic Resources Unit of the International
Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Cali,
Colombia; from 1985-1999, Dr. Roca was Head
of the Biotechnology Research Unit of CIAT and
from 1996-1999 he was Leader of the Project
“Assessment and utilization of agrobiodiversity
through biotechnology” of CIAT.
At present, he is Leader of the Genetic
Resources Conservation and Characterization
Division of the International Potato Center
(CIP), Lima, Peru.
JACKY GANRY
Dr. Jacky Ganry is the
new Chair (2006-2010)
of the ISHS Section
Tropical and Subtropical
Fruits. Dr. Ganry succeeds
Dr. Víctor Galán
Saúco in this position.
Good leadership of the
Section will be assured
with the involvement of
Jacky Ganry Vice-Chair Dr. Sisir Mitra
of India.
Dr. Ganry is an Agricultural
Engineer with a French State Doctorate
in Ecophysiology. He spent all his scientific
career on tropical fruits research in CIRAD, the
French Agricultural Research Centre for
International Development where he is an internationally
recognized specialist on banana. He
was one of the initiators and remains a strong
supporter of INIBAP, the International Network
for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain.
He was the founder of CARBAP, the African
Research Centre on Banana and Plantain, and
was the first Chair of the Committee for
Research Cooperation of ISHS.
Ganry is currently the deputy director for
research of CIRAD’s Horticulture department
(Flhor). He is also scientific director of the journal
Fruits, produced by CIRAD and recognized
by ISHS. He has been leader of European international
cooperation projects on banana and
plantain involving developed and developing
countries. He has strong connections with the
international research for development community
through links to FAO, WHO, AVRDC,
CIP, Urban Harvest, CIAT and ICARDA, especially
on “Fruits, Vegetable and Health”,
“Urban and Peri-urban Horticulture” and
“Integrated Fruit Production.” Dr. Ganry played
a major role in the launching of the Global
Horticultural Initiative at Montpellier, France in
March 2006, an event jointly organized by
AVRDC, CIRAD and ISHS.
SILVANA NICOLA
The ISHS Council recently confirmed the
election of Prof. Dr. Silvana Nicola as new Chair
of the ISHS Section Vegetables. Dr. Nicola follows
Dr. Dan Cantliffe in this office. Warm tribute
was paid to Dr. Cantliffe at the XXVIIth
IHC in Seoul. Leadership
of the Section will also
involve the Vice-Chair
Dr. Wei Liu of China.
Silvana Nicola has a PhD
in Horticultural Science
(University of Florida,
USA) and a Master
degree in Agricultural
Science (Laurea, Università
di Torino, Italy).
Silvana Nicola
She began work as a
scientist in vegetable
crops in 1988 at the Università di Torino. She
was a Fulbright Scholar (1992-1993) and then a
Research Assistant (1993-1996) at the
University of Florida. She became Assistant
Professor (1996) and Associate Professor (2005)
at the Università di Torino and was Visiting
Scientist (2003) at the Universidad Politecnica
de Cartagena (Spain).
Silvana Nicola has hosted and supervised various
national and foreign Postdoctoral, PhD and
Masters degree students and has directed
numerous R&D projects on vegetable crops and
medicinal and aromatic plants at local, national
and international level. She is an author or coauthor
of 140+ scientific publications, reviewer
of international scientific journals and independent
expert of the European Union, Intas, and
National research projects.
Dr. Nicola has attended some 30 international
meetings, congresses and symposia and been
involved in international education exchanges
under the Socrates and the Tempus Programme
in numerous EU and non-EU universities. She
has been an invited speaker at many national
and international meetings and symposia, teacher
and lecturer at the international level in
universities in USA, Holland, Finland, Bulgaria,
Spain, and Egypt and member of national and
ISHS congress scientific, editorial and organizing
committees. She is member of Società
Orticola Italiana, International Society for
Horticultural Science, International Society of
Food, Agriculture & Environment, International
Fresh-Cut Produce Association, American
Society for Horticultural Science, and the
Society of Chemical Industry. Dr. Nicola is a
member of the Executive Committee of the
Italian Society for Horticultural Science and of
the Editorial Board of the Journal of the same
society (Italus Hortus) since 2004.
At present, she is the research group leader on
vegetable crops, medicinal and aromatic plants
at the Faculty of Agriculture, Università di
Torino.
RODERICK DREW
The ISHS Council recently confirmed Professor
Rod Drew as Chair of the ISHS Commission
Biotechnology and Molecular Biology for the
period of 2006-2010. Professor Drew succeeds
Dr. Carmine Damiano in this office. Tribute was
CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE •VOL 46 • NUMBER 4 • 2006 • 9