We are saddened to inform the campus community of the passing of Eric Schmelz, a professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences.
Professor Schmelz was an international leader in the field of plant disease resistance and was particularly well known for his groundbreaking studies of the fundamental mechanisms used by crop plants to recognize and defend against microbial pathogens and herbivorous insects. He was a sought-after collaborator who was passionate about applying a multidisciplinary approach to answer pressing open questions with important implications for the future of agriculture.
His recent research contributions helped establish fundamental knowledge surrounding biochemical mechanisms that control disease resistance in corn, the world’s largest annually harvested crop plant. He helped discover the first key biological switch, the inceptin receptor, that sounds an alarm in plants when herbivores attack. His depth of investment in achieving a high-resolution understanding of plant defense pathways was inspiring to his colleagues and trainees.
Professor Schmelz also was a highly dedicated instructor who was excited to share his knowledge with his students, especially in his unique laboratory course on the Chemistry of Biological Interactions. This course, co-developed and co-taught with Professor Alisa Huffaker, provided students with a special opportunity to gain insight into the key methods used to interrogate chemical communications between plants and other organisms. Professor Schmelz’s commitment to plant research was also evident in his valued contributions to the oversight of the research resources at the campus’ Biology Field Station.
Born and raised in North Tonawanda, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo, Professor Schmelz was engrossed by plants at an early age. He graduated from State University of New York at Buffalo with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. He received his PhD in entomology from the University of Arizona in 1999 and went on to a postdoctoral position at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Gainesville, Fla., followed by a position as an independent research scientist at the same USDA center. He joined UC San Diego’s Department of Cell and Developmental Biology in 2014.
His honors included a Top Reviewer Award from Wiley-Blackwell for The Plant Journal (2010), a USDA Agricultural Research Service Early Career Research Scientist of the Year award (2006) and an Achievement Award for Research from the Florida Entomological Society (2006).
Professor Schmelz is survived by his wife, UC San Diego Associate Professor Alisa Huffaker of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology; his daughter Sonja; his parents, Richard and Carol Schmelz; and his brother Karl and his wife Karey and their two sons.
