Professor Valerie J. Mellano will be awarded with the 2019 Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture award by the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA).

The Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made a significant contribution to California agriculture. Mellano will be added to a distinguished list of contributors in the agricultural industry.

"I am very honored to be recognized by CAPCA," she said. "This organization plays an integral role in the success of agriculture and landscape management in California, and for this group to recognize the success we are seeing in the plant science department at Cal Poly Pomona is a testament to the hard work of our faculty and staff. The award is greatly appreciated."

Mellano currently serves as the chair of the Department of Plant Science in the Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture. The award will be presented at the on Nov. 4 in Reno.