By D'Lyn Ford
A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Goodman developed new tools for classifying maize — a species with immense genetic diversity — using statistical methods and some of the first molecular markers. He led international efforts to collect and preserve the maize gene pool from Latin America, both in seed banks and corn breeding lines, providing material for future hybrids and traits that could help protect corn from pests, drought and diseases.
Goodman, who died March 29 in Raleigh at age 87, will be remembered at a private family service. A gathering is being planned at NC State, where former colleagues recall Goodman’s generosity in sharing his time and expertise. Though Goodman taught a formal class only once during his career, he advised graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who went on to lead plant genetics and breeding programs for universities, government agencies and industry.
“Out in the field, that’s where he did his mentoring,” says Jim Holland, a Raleigh-based research geneticist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, as well as a former Ph.D. student of Goodman’s. “If you’d work with him, you could ask him questions and he’d explain.”
Corn Central
Goodman grew up in Johnston, Iowa, home to 500 people and the headquarters of the Pioneer Hi-Bred seed company. In high school he worked on the company’s summer field crews, hoeing and detasseling corn.
Source : ncsu.edu