Spudman January 2023 - 40

long-time PAA member and Honorary
Life Member Hugh " Murph " Murphy
and discussed potential career path
changes. Murph suggested getting some
experience conducting agricultural
research and offered a graduate research
assistantship. Porter accepted the
assistantship, which involved conducting
crop management research on potatoes
and provided broad exposure to field
research in potato agronomy, weed
control and variety development.
Porter received his M.S. degree in
plant and soil sciences in 1982 from
the University of Maine. He then did
his Ph.D. research in agronomy (crop
physiology), studying carbohydrate
translocation in maize. He received
his Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State
University in 1985. The years in
graduate school provided Porter a
broad background in agronomy, plant
physiology, statistics and excellent
opportunities to learn and develop
research skills.
During 1981, as a graduate student
at the University of Maine, Porter
attended his first PAA meeting
(Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island)
and won an award in the graduate
student paper competition. He was
struck by the scenic beauty of Prince
Edward Island, the depth of potato
research and Extension represented at
the PAA meeting, and by the welcoming
nature of the PAA membership.
In 1985, Porter returned to the
University of Maine and took a faculty
position in the department of plant
and soil sciences. The position was
80% research on agronomy and crop
physiology, mostly on potatoes, but
it also included research on grains
and other crops that could be grown
in rotation with potato. The position
provided the opportunity to work
closely with growers to help develop
rotation crop, soil and nutrient
management, supplemental irrigation
and variety recommendations.
Conducting field research and
working with growers were two
of Porter's favorite activities as a
university faculty member. The
position also involved 20% teaching,
and over the years, Porter taught
undergraduate classes in potato
science, crop ecology and physiology
and graduate-level classes on similar
topics, as well as in experimental design
and applied statistical analysis.
Porter has authored or co-authored
many peer-reviewed and Extensiontype
articles over the years, has
frequently presented research results
at grower meetings, and has mentored
many Ph.D.- and M.S.-level graduate
research projects while serving as
thesis committee chair or a committee
member. Porter served as the chair
of the Department of Plant, Soil, and
Environmental Sciences for five years
and expanded his research role in 2007
when he took over leadership of the
University of Maine potato breeding
program. For his entire career, Porter
has participated in multidisciplinary
potato breeding and variety
development research along with many
valued collaborators in the eastern
regional group, as well as collaborators
from other programs throughout
North America. He has participated
in the release of many valuable potato
cultivars, including Andover, Caribou
Russet, Eva, Hamlin Russet, Harley
Blackwell, Keuka Gold, Lamoka,
Lehigh, Peter Wilcox, Pike, Pinto Gold,
Waneta and many more.
Porter has been an active participant
in the Potato Association of America
over the years and has rarely missed
an annual meeting. He served on the
PAA executive committee from 2002
to 2005 and was president at the 2004
PAA meeting in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
He served on the finance committee for
many years and was finance committee
chair from 1995 to 2002. Porter served
on the ad-hoc committee that helped
modernize the American Journal of
Potato Research in 1996 and served
as an associate editor from 1996 to
1998 and as a senior editor from 1998
to 2002. Porter served on the LAC
for the 1995 PAA Meeting in Bangor,
Maine, and was co-chair with Leigh
Morrow for the 2015 PAA meeting in
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http://www.mainepotatoes.com
Spudman January 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spudman January 2023
