Irwin Goldman, professor in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Grower KWS Chair at the UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The new chair is awarded to a tenured faculty member, and the appointment runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2030.

Established by the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA), the chair acknowledges a faculty member with an established and productive research portfolio addressing the impact of potatoes or vegetables on water, economics and the environment. The “KWS” in the name honors Keith Kelling, Jeffrey Wyman and Walter Stevenson, UW professors emeriti who made outstanding contributions in their research areas.

Goldman’s selection as chair recognizes his extensive work on vegetable breeding and genetics. His research program emphasizes plant secondary metabolites that have potential value for human health and wellbeing including those associated with flavor. His team has bred numerous cultivars that have been used to make commercial hybrids and are grown by farmers throughout the world. Goldman’s work is done in both conventional and organic environments, and he has longstanding partnerships with farmers, seed companies and the Agricultural Research Stations.

“The Wisconsin potato and vegetable industry is well-pleased with the selection of Dr. Irwin Goldman as the KWS Endowed Chair,” says Tamas Houlihan, WPVGA executive director. “Dr. Goldman has a long history of outstanding research on vegetable crops such as carrots, table beets and onions, and we look forward to his future accomplishments that will continue to advance the interests of the vegetable industry in Wisconsin.”