PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

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1 EDUCATION CHRISTIAN D. CRUZ Department of Plant Pathology 4020 Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506, USA Ph.D. Department of Plant Pathology. Kansas State University Thesis: Wheat blast: quantitative pathway analyses for the Triticum pathotype of Magnaporthe oryzae and phenotypic reaction of U.S. wheat cultivars 2008 M.S. Department of Plant Pathology. The Ohio State University Thesis: Impact of foliar diseases on soybean in Ohio: Septoria Brown Spot and Frogeye Leaf Spot 2002 B.S. in Agriculture. Department of Agronomy. Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School 2000 Agronomist. Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS Assistant Professor, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN Interdisciplinary research focuses on integration of fungal biology, ecology, and epidemiology for plant disease management. Specialties include plant pathology, crop biosecurity, risk assessment, disease resistance, ecology, epidemiology, and remote sensing applications Research Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Pathology. Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS Conduct and coordinate interdisciplinary international research on the wheat blast pathosystem. Experiments are aimed to i) elucidate the ecology and epidemiology of the wheat blast disease, ii) develop strategies for its control, and iii) characterize elite germplasm, landraces, and genetic resources Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Plant Pathology. Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS Integrate pathogen biology, ecology, and epidemiology to develop wheat blast control strategies. Experiments focused on the source of primary inoculum, temporal and spatial development of wheat blast, and longevity of fungal propagules under different environmental conditions. Involved in a collaborative research to determine the genetic structure of MoT populations from Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. Identified fungicides effective for the control of the wheat blast disease in Bolivia and Brazil Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 1

2 Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Plant Pathology Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS Advisors: Drs. James Stack and William Bockus Developed quantitative pathway models to estimate the risk of MoT entry and establishment and wheat blast outbreak in the U.S. Established and maintained collaborations to study MoT in Bolivia and Brazil Implemented protocols to test U.S. wheat in tropical environments Identified winter wheat cultivars and wild wheat accessions resistant to MoT under Biosafety Level-3 laboratory conditions Helped to develop the biosecurity plan for research with MoT at Kansas State University s Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) 2009 Research Assistant, Department of Horticulture and Crop Sciences, The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), Wooster, Ohio Advisor: Dr. David Francis Optional practical training. Learned techniques for molecular-marker assisted selection for disease resistance. Training covered methods used for the discovery, analysis and practical use of DNA-based markers Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), Wooster, Ohio Advisor: Dr. Anne Dorrance Determined the cause of the increase in prevalence of Cercospora sojina in Ohio Monitored samples from soybean sentinel plots to track the spread of the emerging soybean rust disease in the U.S. Updated information that was used on the online Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education (PIPE) Determined the yield loss associated with Septoria glycines on soybean Evaluated the effects of foliar fungicides on soybeans in on-farm trials Research Aide, Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), Wooster, Ohio Advisor: Dr. Luis Cañas Managed pesticide efficacy trials. Managed and maintained insect colonies Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 2

3 PUBLICATIONS Refereed Journal Articles Cruz, C. D., and Valent, V Wheat blast disease: danger on the move. Tropical Plant Pathology 42: Cruz, C. D., Bockus, W. W., Stack, J. P., and Valent, V A standardized inoculation protocol to test wheat cultivars for reaction to head blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae (Triticum pathotype). Plant Health Progress 17: Cruz, C. D., Stack, J. P., Fowler, G. A., Christie, D., and Magarey, R. D Climate suitability for pathogen establishment and wheat blast outbreak in the United States. Plant Disease. Plant Dis. Doi: /PDIS RE Cruz, C. D., Peterson, G., L., Bockus, W. W., Kankanala, P., Dubcovsky, J. Jordan, K. W., Akhunov, E., Chumley, F., Baldelomar, D. F., and Valent, B The 2NS translocation from Aegilops ventricosa confers resistance to the Triticum Pathotype of Magnaporthe oryzae. Crop Sci. 56:1 11 Cruz, C. D., Kiyuna, J., Bockus, W. W., Baldelomar, D. F., Todd, T. C., Stack, J. P., and Valent, B Magnaporthe oryzae conidia on basal wheat leaves as a potential source of wheat blast inoculum. Plant Pathology Doi: /ppa Cruz, C. D., Bockus, W. W., Stack, J. P., Tang, X., Valent, B., Pedley, K. F., and Peterson, G. L Preliminary assessment of resistance among U.S. wheat cultivars to the Triticum pathotype of Magnaporthe oryzae. Plant Dis. 96: Cruz, C.D., Mills, D., Paul, P., and Dorrance, A.E Impact of brown spot caused by Septoria glycines on soybeans in Ohio. Plant Dis. 94: Dorrance, A.E., Cruz, C., Mills, D., Bender, R., Koenig, M., LaBarge, G., Leeds, R., Mangione, D., McCluer, G., Ruhl, S., Siegrist, H., Sundermeier, A., Sonnenberg, D., Yost, J., Watters, H., Wilson, G., and Hammond, R Effects of foliar fungicide and insecticide applications on soybean in Ohio. Plant Health Progress. doi: /php rs Cruz, C. D., and Dorrance, A. E Characterization and survival of Cercospora sojina in Ohio. Plant Health Progress. doi: /php rs Manuscripts in Preparation Cruz, C. D., Santana, F. Kiyuna, J., Baldelomar, D., Torres, G., Lau, D., Maciel, J., Seixas, C., Goulart, A., Sussel, A., Schipanski, A., Coelho, M., Dellanora, T., Utiamada, C., Custódio, A., Bockus, W. W., Todd, T. C., Stack, and Valent, B. International Fungicide Efficacy Trials for the Management of Wheat Head Blast. Final preparation for submission to Tropical Plant Pathology Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 3

4 Cruz, C. D., Paul, P., Salgado, J., Mills, K., P., Kiyuna, J., Bockus, W. W., Baldelomar, D. F., Todd, T. C., and Valent, B. Mechanism of autoinfection in the wheat blast pathosystem. In preparation for submission to Plant Pathology Cruz, C. D., Magarey, R., Fowler, G., Stack, P., and Valent, B. Pathway analysis for the introduction of the Triticum pathotype of Magnaporthe oryzae into the U.S. In preparation for submission to Risk Analysis Non-peer reviewed articles Bockus, W. W., Cruz, C. D., Stack, J. P., and Valent, B Effect of seed-treatment fungicides on sporulation of Magnaporthe oryzae from wheat seed, Plant Disease Management Reports 9:ST004. Valent, B., W.W. Bockus, C. D. Cruz, J. P. Stack, M. L. Farman, D. Hershman, P. Paul, G. L. Peterson, K. F. Pedley, and R. Magarey Recovery plan for wheat blast caused by the Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum pathotype. National Plant Disease Recovery System ( pp. Bockus, W. W., Cruz, C.D., Kalia, B., Gill, B. S., Stack, J. P., Pedley, K. F., Peterson, G. L., and Valent, B Reaction of selected accessions of Aegilops tauschii to wheat blast, Plant Disease Management Reports 6:CF005. DOI: /PDMR06. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN. Abstracts and Proceedings Cruppe, G., Valent, B., Peterson, G.L., Asif, M., Fritz, A., Rivadeneira, M.G., Baldelomar, F.D., Kuhnem, P., Cruz, C.D Developing Strategies for Identifying Novel Sources of Resistance for the Intractable Wheat Blast Disease. Plant & Animal Genome XXV New Approaches for Developing Disease Resistance in Cereals. San Diego, CA. Cruz, C. D., Bockus, W. W., Santana, F. M., Paul, P. A., Kiyuna, J., Guzman, E., Todd, T., and Valent, B Wheat Blast: Progress in elucidating its ecology and developing strategies for control. In: E. M. Del Ponte, G. C. Bergstrom, W. Pavan, A. Lazzaretti, and J. M. C. Fernandes (Eds.), Annals of The 5th International Symposium on Fusarium Head Blight and 2nd International Workshop on Wheat Blast (pp. 133). Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil Bockus, W., Baldelomar, D., Cruz, C. D., Farman, M., Maciel, J. L. N., Paul, P. A., Peterson, G., Stack. J., Trick, H. N., and Valent, B Resistance to head blast in U.S. Wheats. In: E. M. Del Ponte, G. C. Bergstrom, W. Pavan, A. Lazzaretti, and J. M. C. Fernandes (Eds.), Annals of The 5th International Symposium on Fusarium Head Blight and 2nd International Workshop on Wheat Blast (pp. 129). Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil. Valent, B., Farman, M., Pedley, K., Peterson, G. L., Cruz, C. D., Bockus, W. W., Whitley, R., Navia-Urrutia, M, Trick, H. N., Nunes-Maciel, J. L., Paul, P. A., Oliveira-Garcia, E., and Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 4

5 Stack, J Blast: Serious wheat disease. Program Book of the 2016 IS-MPMI XVII Congress: S6-4. Cruz, C., Peterson, G., Bockus, W., Farman, M., Pedley, K., Stack, J., Magarey, R., Fowler, G., Tang, X., Valent, B Wheat blast: An emerging threat. Phytopathology 102:S5. Cruz, C. D., Bockus, W. W., Pedley, K., Peterson, G., Stack, J., Tang, X., and Valent, B Standardization of protocols to test wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for reaction to blast in a biocontainment laboratory. Phytopathology 101:S40. Cruz, C. D., Bockus, W., Pedley, K., Peterson, G., Stack, J., Tang, X., and Valent, B Resistance among U.S. wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars to the wheat pathotype of Magnaporthe oryzae. Phytopathology 101:S220. Peterson, G., Pedley, K., Bockus, W., Stack, J., Cruz, C., and Valent, B Susceptibility of selected US winter wheat cultivars to wheat blast (Magnaporthe oryzae). 101:S141 FUNDING Cruz, C. D International Congress of Plant Pathology - The American Phytopathogical Society / Biotrigo Genética / Asociación de Productores de Oleaginosas y Trigo ANAPO. $5,000. Funding for international speakers. 07/29/18 08/03/18 Cruz, C. D., Valent, B., and Solomon, P Biosecurity Preparedness of the Grain Industry Against Wheat Blas. Australian Government Grains Research and Development Corporation GRDC. $115,000 AUD. 24 mo. Start date 01/01/2017 Cruz C. D., and Valent, B Identifying new sources of wheat blast resistance. Biotrigo Genética, Brazil. $80, mo. Start Date, 03/01/2017 Cruz, C. D, and Baldelomar, D Identifying novel sources of resistance to wheat blast. Asociación de Productores de Oleaginosas y Trigo ANAPO. In-kind collaboration $95, mo. Start Date, 09/05/2016 Cruz, C. D., and Rivadeneira, M. G Centro de Investigación Agrícola Tropical CIAT-Bolivia. In-kind collaboration $60, mo. Start Date, 06/01/2016 Cruz, C., and Baldelomar, D Identifying novel sources of resistance to wheat blast. Asociación de Productores de Oleaginosas y Trigo ANAPO. In-kind collaboration $34,000. Start Date, 12/04/2015 Cruz, C. D Rotary International Ambassadorial Global Competitive Grant. Rotary International, The Rotary Foundation, Rotary International District 5710, and the Manhattan Rotary Club of Manhattan Kansas, through the Rotary Global Grant Program. $30, mo. Start Date, 09/15/14 AWARDS Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 5

6 Cruz, C. D Tillman Family Agriculture Graduate Student Award. $6,000 Cruz, C. D Kansas State University Student Council Travel Grant. $300 Cruz, C. D Kansas State University Bluemont Grant. $2,000 Cruz, C. D Ecuadorian Ministry of Agriculture Award. $5,000 Cruz, C. D Pan American College of Agriculture Scholarship. $9,000 Cruz, C. D Alfons-Goppel-Foundation Scholarship ($7,000) RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PRESENTATIONS (21 National and 11 International**) 2017 Wheat Blast: Pathogen and Disease Identification. Regional Training Course and Wheat Blast Surveillance. Bangladesh. Invited Speaker Wheat Blast: Epidemiology and Management of an Emerging Global Threat. Regional Training Course and Wheat Blast Surveillance. Bangladesh. Invited Speaker Developing Strategies for Identifying Novel Sources of Resistance for the Intractable Wheat Blast Disease. Plant & Animal Genome XXV New Approaches for Developing Disease Resistance in Cereals. San Diego, CA. Invited Speaker 2016 Wheat Blast: Epidemiology and management of an emerging global threat. Botany and Plant Pathology Department, Purdue University. West Lafayette, IN. Invited speaker ** Wheat Blast: Resistance, Avirulence Effectors, Host Species Specificity and Disease Spread. Regional Consultation Workshop Mitigating the threat of Wheat Blast in Bangladesh and beyond. CIMMYT, Kathmandu, Nepal. Keynote presenter ** Climate Suitability for the MoT Pathotype in the United States. Regional Consultation Workshop Mitigating the threat of Wheat Blast in Bangladesh and beyond. CIMMYT, Kathmandu, Nepal. Keynote presenter ** Wheat Blast: Ecology, Epidemiology and Management. 2 nd International Workshop on Wheat Blast. EMBRAPA Wheat Kansas State University, Florianópolis, Brazil. Keynote presenter. Management Strategies for the Wheat Blast disease. 36 th Rice Technical Working Group Meeting. Galveston, TX. Invited Speaker International Fungicide Efficacy Trials for the Management of Wheat Blast. KSU Plant Biosecurity Course entitled Plant Biosecurity in Theory and Practice. Manhattan, Kansas. Invited Speaker Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 6

7 2015 International fungicide efficacy trials for the management of wheat blast. Wheat Blast Workshop National FHB Forum. St. Louis, MO. Invited Speaker Wheat Blast: Progress in Elucidating its Epidemiology and Developing Strategies for Control. Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University. Wooster, OH. Invited Speaker ** Wheat blast: Progress in elucidating pathogen genetics, ecology and epidemiology, and identifying sources of resistance, CIMMYT, El Batán, Mexico. Invited Speaker. ** Wheat Blast Workshop: Biology, epidemiology, and identification. Kansas State University and Fundación CETABOL. Samaipata, Bolivia. Organizer and Speaker What it takes to do biocontainment research? King Saud University New Faculty Training Program. Manhattan, KS. Invited Speaker Potential Risk of Wheat Blast Occurrence in the U.S. KSU Plant Biosecurity Course entitled Plant Biosecurity in Theory and Practice. Manhattan, Kansas. Invited Speaker 2014 Insights of wheat blast biology gained in Bolivia, Field tests and fungicide trials. Wheat and Rice Blast Integrated Project. Minneapolis, MN. Invited Speaker Potential risk of wheat blast occurrence in the U.S. 35 th Rice Technical Working Group Meeting - Special Symposium: Blast control - a moving target. New Orleans, LA. Invited Speaker ** Wheat Blast Workshop: Biology, identification, and control. Bolivian Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers ANAPO. Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Organizer and Speaker ** Wheat Blast Field Day: Biology, identification, and control. COPERAGRO Asociación de Productores de Oleaginosas y Trigo. Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Invited Speaker Paraguay Minister of Agriculture Visit: Wheat Blast Research Project Update. Kansas State University. Manhattan, Kansas. Invited Speaker Wheat Blast: Progress in Elucidating its Epidemiology and Developing Strategies for Control. Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University. Manhattan, KS. Seminar 2013 Success: Rice Blast Research Reveals Details on How a Fungus Invades Plants / Study Advances Understanding of Wheat Blast. Kansas State Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 7

8 University Research and Extension Congressional Assistants Tour. Manhattan, KS. Invited Speaker ** Update on Wheat Blast Research. Bolivian Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers, ANAPO. Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Invited Speaker Wheat blast: quantitative pathway analyses for the Triticum pathotype of Magnaporthe oryzae and phenotypic reaction of U.S. wheat cultivars. Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University. Manhattan, KS. Exit seminar 2012 Wheat Blast: An Emerging Threat. American Phytopathological Society North Central Meeting. Wooster, OH. Invited Speaker Wheat Blast Biosecurity. Wheat Blast Stakeholders Meeting. Kansas State University. Manhattan, KS. Invited Speaker Probability of Entry and Establishment of Magnaporthe oryzae (Triticum pathotype) into the United States: A Quantitative Pathway Analysis. American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting. Providence, RI. Poster Presentation 2011 ** Wheat Blast Pathway Risk Analysis. Agriculture and Food Safety Risk Analysis Course. Epix Analytics University of London. London, UK. Presentation Resistance among U.S. wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars to the wheat pathotype of Magnaporthe oryzae. American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting. Honolulu, HI. Invited Symposium Speaker 2010 Resistance among U.S. wheat cultivars to Magnaporhte oryzae (wheat pathotype) and risk analysis of the wheat blast disease. USDA Center for Plant Health Science and Technology. Raleigh, NC. Invited Speaker 2008 Prevalence of Frogeye Leaf Spot caused by Cercospora sojina in Ohio. American Phytopathological Society. Minneapolis, MN. Poster Presentation 2007 Soybean yield loss caused by Septoria glycines causal agent of Septoria brown spot. American Phytopathological Society Norh Central Division Meeting. Lafayette, IN. Poster Presentation Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 8

9 TEACHING EXPERIENCE Wheat Blast Research Project ( ) Worked one-on-one with two Ph.D. students from The Ohio State University and Kansas State University on individual research projects in Bolivia and the U.S. These students nominated me as member of their doctoral committees. Plant Biosecurity in Theory and Practice (2015) Co-instructor for hands-on biocontainment training. Students entered a fully operational biocontainment laboratory and learned associated biocontainment protocols and research procedures. Universidad Gabriel René Moreno, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia Instituto de Investigaciones Agrícolas El Vallecito (2014) Guest Lecturer: Scientific Research of Emerging Plant Diseases Plant Diseases in the Field- Plant Biosecurity and International Plant Pathology. Summer semester (2014) American Phytopathological Society North Central Meeting: Training and Tour of Biosecurity Research Institute (2013) Co-instructor for hands-on biocontainment training. Students entered a fully operational biocontainment laboratory and learned associated biocontainment protocols and research procedures. Experimental Design and Data Analysis ( ) Planning Committee. Committee prepared course material, selected and evaluated specific topics for inclusion in this course Principles of Plant Pathology (Laboratory). Spring semester (2011) Teaching assistant responsible for presenting a 20-minute pre-lab lecture, demonstrating lab procedures to students, and answering questions. Experience using K-State online for class management Basic Language Training Program Spanish I. Fall semester (2010 and 2016) Prepared and delivered course material as a basic language-training instructor Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 9

10 RESEARCH EXPERIENCE Supervised Ph.D. student Giovana Cruppe, postdoctoral researchers Ely Oliveira-Garcia and Shefali Dobhal, visiting professor João Maciel, and visiting scientist Javier Kiyuna Kikuyama to perform critical wheat blast research at the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kansas State University. (August 2015-Present) Bolivian Technological Center on Agriculture, Okinawa, Bolivia Tropical Agricultural Research Center, Saavedra, Bolivia Bolivian Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers, Sta. Cruz, Bolivia Mentored collaborators Javier Kiyuna Kikuyama, Lidia Calderón, Gabriela Rivadeneria, Jorge Cuéllar, and Andrés Cruz in wheat blast field research activities and laboratory techniques in Bolivia and the U.S. (2013-present) Bolivian Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers, Santa Cruz, Bolivia Mentored undergraduate student Santiago Rivera, Universidad Gabriel René Moreno, Bolivia, in wheat blast research activities. (February-August 2014) The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio Mentored visiting scholar Henry Paz (Zamorano Pan-American School of Agriculture, Honduras), and intern student Arsheen Ehtesham (The Ohio State University) in research activities (2006) SALES/INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE Corporación Custer INTEROC S. A., Machala, Ecuador Technical Sales Representative (Agro-chemical) ( ) Responsibilities included: Reach desired sales results set by regional sales manager ($1,000,000 per year) Forecast sales budget, plan strategies, and develop expense budget Build relationships with customers and deliver sales growth for product families under the curriculum division Promote fungicides to control the devastating Black Sigatoka disease (Mycosphaerella fijiensis) and plan educational activities for their proper use Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 10

11 SERVICE TO PROFESSION 2018 Session Organizer. International Congress of Plant Pathology - The American Phytopathogical Society. Wheat Blast Developing Strategies for Assessing and Managing a Global Threat on the Move 2017 Manuscript reviewer. PLOS ONE, Phytopathology 2016 Manuscript reviewer. Phytopathology, Journal of Plant Breeding, Journal of Plant Disease, Journal of Crop Protection, Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Journal of Tropical Plant Pathology 2015 Logistics Committee. Third Symposium of Zamoranos U.S. Chapter. Organized by the Zamorano Alumni Association at Kansas State University Reviewer. USDA APHIS New Pest Response Guideline (NPRG) for wheat blast 2014 Manuscript reviewer. Journal of Plant Disease Reviewer. USDA-APHIS-PPQ New Pest Response Guidelines (NPRG) Wheat Blast Translator. Wheat & Rice Blast Integrated Project. Spanish, and Portuguese versions of the video Wheat Blast: An Emerging Threat to Wheat Production Symposium arrangement committee. American Phytopathological Society North Central Meeting. Manhattan, KS Manuscript reviewer. Journal of Plant Disease Reviewer and member of the Wheat Blast Recovery Plan Committee. Document produced as part of the National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS) called for in Homeland Security Presidential Directive Number 9 (HSPD-9) DEPARTMENTAL/UNIVERSITY SERVICE Briefed Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran & Gen. Richard Myers on the progress towards control of the wheat blast disease Manhattan, KS. Postdoctoral Search Committee Responsible for identifying appropriate candidates for postdoctoral positions. Manhattan, KS. Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 11

12 Guide. Ecuadorian Government Official Mission to Kansas State University Manhattan, KS. Supported the Mission s purpose of opening discussions for potential future collaboration. Biosecurity lab tour guide Present. Tours offered to invited speakers and scientists including Dr. Andreas Von Tiedemann (University of Göttingen, Germany), Dr. Ethyene Duveiller (CIMMYT, Mexico), Dr. Anne Dorrance (The Ohio State University, USA), Dr. Gary Peterson (USDA-ARS, USA), Dr. Simon McKirdy (CRC Plant Biosecurity, Australia), Dr. Muricio Fernandes (EMBRAPA, Brazil), Dr. Jordan Bailey and Dr. Brendan Radoni (CRC Plant Biosecurity, Australia). EXTRA TRAINING Phenome Tucson, AZ. The 1st annual Phenome 2017 conference brought together a multidisciplinary community comprising plant biologists, ecologists, engineers, agronomists, computer scientists, and representatives from U.S. federal agencies in a rich and diverse networking environment to foster collaboration, innovation, and the initiation of multi-investigator and multiinstitution projects. International Wheat and Maize Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Advance Wheat Improvement - Biotechnology Module. The module covered (1) Overview of molecular breeding; (2) Application of molecular markers for gene identification and introgression; (3) Genotyping systems, genetic maps, and mapping populations; (4) Molecular data analysis, dealing with different types of data, data storage, management of data as valuable resources; and (5) Gene introgression using molecular markers. USDA Center for Plant Health Science and Technology APHIS-PPQ-CPHST Raleigh, NC. Learned the most scientifically viable and practical methodologies used for regulatory and policy decisions for pest exclusion and detection (i.e. quantitative risk analysis and climate suitability risk analysis). Epix Analytics University of London London, UK. Animal Agriculture and Food Safety Risk Analysis and Disease Modeling. Learned basic principles of risk assessment, software, stochastic processes and their modeling. Examined resources, strategy and communication issues in risk assessment, and modeling principles. Learned hands-on skills to effectively use a risk modeling software environment. RELATED PROFESSIONAL SKILLS MOLECULAR APPLIED PLANT PATHOLOGY STATISTICS PCR, DNA-based markers Greenhouse, laboratory, and field experiments Visual and remote sensing techniques Experience with practical statistic and experimental design for Plant Pathology and Crop Science: ANOVA, regression and correlation analysis, Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 12

13 completely randomized design, randomized complete blocks, and split plot design. Statistical and scientific graphing software packages: SAS, SigmaPlot RISK ANALYSIS Experience with probabilistic theory, probability distributions, Monte Carlo simulation, and sensitivity for Excel platform, and NCSU/APHIS Plant Pest Forecast (NAPPFAST) System MANAGEMENT Strong leadership and managerial skills. Experience supervising technical teams in Ecuador, Bolivia, and the U.S. Currently involved in leadership roles in different areas of the Blast Integrated Project (BIP) in the U.S. and Bolivia. Commitment to work with underrepresented/underserved students or other audiences. Positive interpersonal skills and willingness to share knowledge with others PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND WORKING GROUPS 2017-Present 2017-Present 2009-Present 2007-Present North American Plant Phenotyping Network APS Epidemiology Committee Wheat Blast Project (Kansas State University in partnership with Asociación de Productores de Oleaginosas y Trigo ANAPO, Fundación CETABOL, USDA-ARS, and EMBRAPA-Brazil) American Phytopathological Society (APS) 2008 APS-Tropical Plant Pathology Committee ELECTED AND APPOINTMENT OFFICES President, Zamorano Alumni at Kansas State University Treasurer, Plant Pathology Graduate Students Association (GSA). Kansas State University Mentor Award Committee, Plant Pathology Graduate Students Association (GSA). Kansas State University. LANGUAGES Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 13

14 Spanish (Native proficiency) English (Full professional proficiency) Portuguese (Limited working proficiency) Italian (Elementary proficiency) Christian D. Cruz, Curriculum vitae 14