b'Dr. Gary Secor, NDSU Plant PathologistBy Tom Berg, NDSU Extension Writing Associatefouryears.Secorworkedforthefirsttwoyoungchildren,loadedatrailer, potatovirustestinglabintheUnitedanddroveacrossthestateofNorth States in his home state of Montana.Dakota in a driving blizzard. At that time, he was encouraged by hisIt was a good introduction, but thats boss at MSU to pursue his doctorate the way the weather is, Secor said. andhedidsoattheUniversityof CaliforniaDavis.Shortlyafter,aposi- Forty-fiveyearslater,Secorisstillat tionopenedatNorthDakotaStateNDSUandcontinuestomakeabig University.impact on the potato industry (he also workswithsugarbeetdiseasesat This position opened up and I appliedNDSU).Heisahighlysought-after for it, because it was a potato pathologyresearcher and instructor in potato dis-After more than four decades at NorthpositionandIhadexperience,Secoreases. Dakota State and working with peoplesaid. I applied for this position and got in the potato industry, Dr. Gary Secorthe job.He found the Fargo-Moorhead region a still enjoys coming to work every day. good place to raise a family (he and his In January 1978, Secor and his family,wifehavefourchildren)alongwith Its always exciting and always fun towhich at the time included his wife andgrowing in his pathology career. work in the potato industry, Secor said. You never know whats going to hap-pen.Beingapathologist,youalways have job security.There are always dis-ease problems.Every day is not the same; every day is different. You get samples from growers; we get to do a lot of diagnoses.(Theres) the challenges with new diseases. There is always something new and something different.Thatmakesitareallygood position to have.Secor is a plant pathologist at NDSU and has been at the Fargo-based university since1978.Hesahighlyregarded authorityonpotatodiseasesandhas workedincountriessuchasRussia, China, Canada, Australia, and Chile.A native of Bozeman, Mont., he earned his bachelors and masters degrees from Montana State. He worked as a techni- PH: 218-346-3357Toll Free:888-884-8070cianforthepotatoprogramtherefor47418 US Hwy 10 Perham, MN 56573www.btuvent.com14 POTATO GROWER FEBRUARY 2023'