Rate My Professor Valerie Mellano

Valerie J. Mellano is Professor Emerita in the Department of Plant Science at the Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where her expertise contributes to Agricultural and Veterinary Science. She earned a B.S. in Animal Science from Montana State University in 1982, an M.S. in Plant Pathology from Montana State University in 1983, and a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of California, Riverside in 1988. Following a postdoctoral appointment at UC Riverside, Mellano joined the University of California Cooperative Extension in San Diego County in 1990 as an Environmental Issues Farm Advisor, a role she held until 2012. In this capacity, she advised farmers on critical issues including water quality management, waste and manure management, composting of agricultural products, pesticide and nutrient use, and regulatory compliance. From 2008 to 2012, she also served as County Director for the Cooperative Extension in San Diego County.

In 2012, Mellano was appointed Professor and Chair of the Plant Science Department at Cal Poly Pomona, positions she maintained until 2022. During her tenure as chair, undergraduate enrollment in Plant Science increased from 91 to 240 students, while the M.S. program grew from 1 to over 25 students. She oversaw the hiring of six new tenure-track faculty members, additional lecturers, and full-time farm staff. Key infrastructure developments under her leadership included a new insectary greenhouse funded by the California Citrus Research Board and a Plant Pathology diagnostic laboratory supported by major donors. Mellano launched the Urban Agriculture program, complete with a minor in Urban and Community Agriculture, ensuring high employment rates for graduates and alignment of the B.S. curriculum with requirements for the Pest Control Adviser license. Her initiatives fostered stronger partnerships with the green industry, enhancing internships, scholarships, and support for the university's Turf Bowl Team. Mellano's contributions earned her the 2019 Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture award from the California Association of Pest Control Advisers and induction into the Green Industry Hall of Fame in 2023. As Professor Emerita, she continues to teach Plant Pathology and mentor graduate students.