Frank A. Shotkoski

Frank A. Shotkoski is the director of the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project (ABSP) II, a USAID-funded program that is coordinated by Cornell University. "Before joining Cornell University, Frank worked as the Global Cotton Traits Technical Manager with Novartis and later Syngenta from 1998-2004 where he built a cotton biotechnology program that resulted in the development of trait-based product using the insecticidal protein Vip3A (VipCotTM)." "Prior to joining Syngenta, Dr. Shotkoski held the position of Research Fellow at the University of Washington Department of Medical Genetics where he conducted research on human gene therapy applications for the treatment of hematopoietic diseases. He also has a postdoctoral experience from the department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin." Shotkoski earned his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 1992, and his Master of Science and Bachelor of Science from the University of Nebraska in 1988 and 1984, respectively.

According to the April 2005 announcement of his appointment:


 * "Frank Shotkoski was recently appointed director of the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSPII), USAID’s lead project for development of agricultural biotechnology. Frank brings 20 years of academic and industry experience in both agricultural and medical biotechnology to the position. Before joining ABSPII, Frank was Global Cotton Traits Technical Manager with Syngenta, where he built a cotton biotechnology research program to develop insect-resistant cotton. Since starting in January, Frank has traveled to East and West Africa, India, Philippines, and Indonesia to meet with partners and assess the progress of ongoing efforts. ABSPII is a consortium led by Cornell University that focuses on the safe and effective development and commercialization of bioengineered crops in East and West Africa, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines."

Contact Information

 * Rice Hall, Room 306
 * Cornell University
 * Ph: 607-255-6357
 * Email: fas23@cornell.edu
 * Web: Cornell Faculty Website

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * U.S. Agency for International Development
 * USAID Promotion of Agricultural Biotechnology
 * Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project (ABSP) I
 * Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project (ABSP) II
 * Bt Eggplant
 * Bt Potato
 * Late Blight Resistant Potato
 * Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS)
 * U.S. State Department Promotion of Agricultural Biotechnology
 * U.S. Department of State Biotechnology Outreach Funds
 * GMO Policies by Country

External Resources

 * Interview with Frank A. Shotkoski, "The role of biotechnology in fighting banana disease," Agfax.net, January 2009.

External Articles

 * Peter Gregory, Robert H. Potter, Frank A. Shotkoski, Desiree Hautea, K.V. Raman, Vijay Vijayaraghavan, William H. Lesser, George Norton, and W. Ronnie Coffman, "Bioengineered Crops as Tools for International Development: Opportunities and Strategic Considerations," Experimental Agriculture (2008), 44: 277-299, June 20, 2008.