Dr. William A. Powell received his BS in biology in 1982 at Salisbury State University, MD, and his PhD in 1986 at Utah State University studying the molecular mechanisms of hypovirulence in the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica. He is currently the Director of the Council on Biotechnology in Forestry and SUNY-ESF and the Co-Director of the New York State American Chestnut Research and Restoration Program. One of his significant accomplishments is the enhancement of blight resistance in American chestnut by his research team and collaborators. The American chestnut indeed has been lost in the wild due to a disease. There is a long-term effort to bring the tree back through breeding efforts.

Type of Case
Video or audio

Publisher
TEDx Talks

Region
Americas

Biome
Boreal, Temperate

Forest Type
Degraded forest

Primary Designated Function
All