Professor Emeritus, Washington State University
Professor R. James Cook is one of the University's most honored research scientists, recognizing his work in plant pathology and biotechnology. In 1993, he was named to the National Academy of Sciences, one the highest awards for an American scientist. That same year, he received the USDA Distinguished Service Award and was made an honorary member of the British Society for Plant Pathology. The American Phytopathological Society honored him in 1995 and again in 1997. Cook currently serves as interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. From 1965 to 1998, he was a USDA-ARS research plant pathologist in the Root Disease and Biological Control Research Unit in Pullman, with a joint appointment to the WSU faculty. In 1986, he was chosen to give the Distinguished Faculty Address, one of the top WSU honors for its faculty. He now holds the R. James Cook Endowed Chair in Wheat Research, established in 1998 by the Washington Wheat Commission. This chair was created to strengthen research and graduate education in the plant, soil, and microbiological sciences at WSU.
His current research emphases include:
Professor Cook is also active in educating the public about biotechnology, including genetically modified plants used for food crops. He completed his B.S. and M.S. degrees at North Dakota State University in 1958 and 1961, and his Ph.D. at the University of California-Berkeley in 1964.