Tom German: In Memoriam

With great sadness we report upon the passing of Dr. Tom German in late August, 2023. Tom was recruited to UW Madison in 1990 as professor and director of the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program (WSPCP). In 1995, Tom was elected as chair of the Department of Plant Pathology (1995–1998), while he continued to serve as director of WSPCP. In recognition of his cross-disciplinary understanding and leadership in plant virus/insect interactions, German was appointed as a faculty member in the UW Department of Entomology in 2000 where he served as chair of the Department from 2002 to 2005. Importantly, Tom was first person in CALS to be elected chair in two different departments. In 2010, Tom retired from UW and was appointed professor emeritus and continued to conduct research and contribute to both Ento and PP’s instructional mission until his passing. We will miss him immensely. He was a great friend to so many in both Departments. – Russ Groves, Chair, Entomology