Dr. Thomas Clemente

Expert Bio

Clemente received a BS degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1985. Indiana, PA is the hometown of the great Jimmy Stewart and it was here where his interest in the plant sciences was sparked. He entered graduate school in the summer of 1986 at Oklahoma State University where he earned a MS Degree in Plant Pathology in 1989. Clemente’s graduate training then took him to North Carolina State University where he earned a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology in 1993. Following his graduate work he spent three years in Post Doctorate training at Monsanto Company before joining the faculty at the University of Nebraska. He currently is housed in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture/Center for Plant Science Innovation where he holds the title of Eugene W. Price Distinguished Professor of Biotechnology. Clemente serves as the Director of the Plant Transformation Core Research Facility (PTCRF). The PTCRF is a state-of the-art plant genetic engineering facility with research emphasis on introducing value-added and stress resistance traits into crop plants. The PTCRF has research programs on a variety of plants including wheat, soybean, sorghum, and maize.