Congrats to DOCTOR Daughtrey!

Chris Beytes

We can now call her Dr. Margery Daughtrey without her having to sheepishly correct us because the plant industry’s beloved and long-running plant pathologist has officially finished all requirements to receive a Ph.D. from Cornell University. On April 26, Margery passed the final defense examination of her research dissertation and became a doctor!

As the official press release states, “Most people who know Margery probably assume that she already has a Ph.D. because of her vast knowledge about ornamental plant diseases and her excellent diagnostic abilities.”

That is absolutely true. Consider her career: She joined Cornell University’s Long Island Horticultural Research & Extension Center (LIHREC) in Riverhead, New York, way back in 1978. In her 45-year career there, she's been the Center’s most prolific writer, publishing more than 1,000 technical publications, books, book chapters, refereed journal articles, Internet publications and extension publications. She speaks a bit, too, having given thousands of talks throughout New York, across the U.S. and around the world.

Said Dr. Mark Bridgen, Professor and Director of Cornell’s LIHREC, of Margie’s accomplishment, “Most of our Ph.D. students are in their late 20s and early 30s and are expected to prove their worthiness in the future. However, in Margery Daughtrey’s case, she has already spent 45 years conducting research, publishing books and excelling as an extension agent before beginning her Ph.D. program. This Ph.D. is recognizing a career of excellence and acknowledging her accomplishments.” GT