Hall Of Fame Inductees

 

The individuals nominated should have made a significant impact or positive influence that assures the future of our industry in the lives of generations to come.

 

Once nominated, an individual’s biography and photo are updated on the site, and he or she is placed in the polls for voting. At the end of the year the committee takes into consideration the votes and decides which candidates are inducted.

 

Those with a star (*) next to their name below were either inducted posthumously or have passed away since being inducted.

 

Nomination Qualifications

  • Person with integrity and passion
  • Minimum 20 years in industry
  • Someone who has developed  or invented  new technology
  • Has made contributions that resulted in change
  • Contributed to mankind’s needs in his field
  • Provided education and encouragement  with self-sacrifice
  • Changed the industry

Valerie Mellano

 

Originally from Montana and from a long-time farming and ranching extended family, I started my collegiate education at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT.  I received a B.S. degree in Animal Science, (1982) and while I was a student, I needed a job.  The highest-paying job I was able to find on campus was in the Plant Pathology Department, and it was there that I realized that plants are where it’s at!   I worked in that position all four years of my undergraduate education and followed up with a M. S. degree in Plant Pathology from Montana State immediately after my undergraduate graduation. (1983).

 

I was accepted to the Ph.D. program in Plant Pathology at UC Riverside, and completed the Ph.D. program there in 1988. I had the good fortune to meet my fellow graduate student and now husband Mike Anthony Mellano, Ph.D., while we were both students in the same lab at UCR.  While my Ph.D. work was primarily biotechnology-focused, I was more interested in applied plant work in the greenhouse or field. After a short post-doc appointment at UCR,  I was hired as an Environmental Issues Farm Advisor in San Diego County in 1990  and worked in that position until 2012. My position focused on a number of issues related to ag production, including water quality management, waste and manure management issues, composting of agricultural products and pesticide and nutrient use.  All work I did there was related to the regulatory process and the difficulties faced by agricultural producers. I became the County Director in 2008 and maintained that position until 2012.

 

I was offered the position of Department Chair of the Plant Science Department at Cal Poly Pomona starting Fall Semester 2012, a position I held for the next 10 years.  During this time, I very gratefully received a large amount of support from many, many industry partners-it turned out that most of them were alumni of the program!  The  Plant Science Department was the original academic department on Cal Poly Pomona’s campus, and had a long history of successful alumni.  However, the student numbers had dwindled, and we had 91 majors and one M.S. student when I took on the chair position. We also had very few faculty and most were on the verge of retirement. I count as one of my best career accomplishments that we were able to increase the undergraduate student numbers to 240 undergraduate students and over 25 M.S. students as of Fall 2023. Many of those students enrolled in Ph.D. programs at excellent institutions across the country, where their practical education was well regarded.  They are now taking positions as young Plant Science faculty members in many Land Grant universities. We have also hired six new tenure-track faculty, numerous lecturer faculty and a full-time farm staff. In addition, a new insectary greenhouse was built with funds from the California Citrus Research Board to assist in the HLB biological control project, and we are currently constructing a new, stand-alone Plant Pathology diagnostic lab building funded by two major donors.  We have also started an Urban Agriculture program, with a minor in Urban and  Community Agriculture.  Students are almost all immediately employed upon graduation, and the B.S. in Plant Science covers all the needed coursework for the PCA license, which about half our student pursue. Helping students find their place in the agricultural community has been the most rewarding part of my position. 

 

I stepped down as chair and officially “retired” from Cal Poly Pomona in 2022, but  have continued to teach Plant Pathology and mentor graduate students at Cal Poly since then as an ereritus faculty member.. II am also assisting UCANR with refilling the Farm Advisor Ranks in counties all over the state, and also work on various projects with the USDA Specialty Crops program.  I remain active in the Irrigated Lands Groups in both San Diego and Los Angeles counties, so I have not really stopped my involvement in agriculture.

 

My husband Mike, who is the CEO of Mellano and Co have four wonderful kids, four and almost five grand-kids and a small growing operation of our own.  We recently added an expanding  vineyard to our growing operation and have successfully bottled our first decent vintage. 

 

Short Version: Professional Activities

 

B.S. in Animal Science, Montana State University, 1982

M.S. in Plant Pathology, Montana State University, 1983

Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, UCR, 1988

1990-2012-UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor, San Diego County

2008-2012-County Director, UC Cooperative Extension, San Diego County

2012-2022-Plant Science Department Professor and Chair, Cal Poly Pomona