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Dr. Pantalone poses in a field of 5601T soybeans, a cultivar he developed at UT and which serves as one of two of the check varieties featured in the USDA Southern Uniform Testing Program. The program allows breeders to determine the region's best-performing varieties. Download this image (955 KB)

Plant scientist Vincent Pantalone, who develops new soybean varieties, has been named one of two recipients of the University of Tennessee's 2006 Wheeley Award. The award recognizes and encourages technology transfer from the university to private industry. Given by the UT Research Foundation, the Wheeley Award is considered one of the most prestigious of the university's honors.

Pantalone is an associate professor in the Department of Plant Sciences. His work with soybean cultivars has resulted in five varieties that are herbicide-resistant, two conventional varieties and five improved germplasm (parental) lines. Since 2001, two of his cultivars have been adopted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as "high-yield checks" or high-producing standard varieties, replacing older varieties that were the agricultural standard for almost two decades.

The new varieties yield an extra five bushels of soybeans per acre a year, which offers the Tennessee soybean producers the possibility of increasing their annual revenues, estimated at more than $230 million a year, by another $33 million. Pantalone has been at UT since 1998.

The annual award was established by B. Otto and Kathleen Wheeley. Otto Wheeley is a UT alumnus. He was deputy chairman of the Koppers Co. and president of Kopvenco, its venture capital subsidiary. He founded Venture First Associates, Inc., and has worked with the university to promote commercial development of university research. Nine faculty have received the award since it was established in 1989.

Peter Tsai, a research associate professor in UT's Textiles and Nonwoven Development Center (TANDEC), is co-recipient of the award. Tsai has developed methods of improving nonwoven filters. Both Pantalone and Tsai will be recognized at a luncheon on Oct. 18.

"Both of these men are outstanding scientists who have been able to commercialize their research in ways that benefit their industries and the university," said Fred Tompkins, president of the University of Tennessee Research Foundation and UT associate vice president for research. "They have developed products that are important to the regional and national economy and to society."

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Contacts:

Dr. Arlene Garrison, (865) 974-6410
Bill Dockery, (865) 974-2187
Patricia McDaniels, (865) 974-7141

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For more details see http://www.tennessee.edu/news/article.php?id=3863