2024 Spudman Impact Awards – Russell Groves

Russell Groves

Department chair, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Throughout his academic career, Russell Groves has maintained a focus on personal relationships.

Groves, a professor and department chair at the University of Wisconsin — Madison, began researching potato virus patterns at Cornell University in Stewart Gray’s laboratory. A stint studying bacteria in grapes, almonds and citrus in California followed before Groves returned to potatoes, accepting a vegetable entomology position in Wisconsin.

There, he’s found the best thing about his award-winning research is the people, including department colleagues and undergraduate and graduate students.

“I’m proud of the personal relationships I have developed with so many people over my career to date — professional colleagues across the U.S. and internationally, my peers at the UW- Madison, the UW-Madison vegetable team, and the many students with whom I have had the pleasure of interacting,” Groves said.

That personal touch is also evident in Groves’ choosing of his wife, Carol, also a scientist, as his atop the list of his biggest influences.

“(She) has influenced my career in so many positive ways,” Groves said. “My personal interactions with others have also been shaped by my parents.”

That internal support system has led to industry recognition including the 2017 Wisconsin Seed Potato Industry Leadership Award and the 2016 University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Given his emphasis on personal relationships, it’s no surprise that Groves cited the Golden Rule as his best advice: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”