Dear Colleagues,

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that our good friend and colleague, Dr. Russell Hahn, passed away last evening at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA.  A memorial event will be planned for the new year and details will be shared when available.  Russ served Cornell University, CALS, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the farmers of New York State and nearby states with distinction as Professor and Weed Science Specialist starting in 1974 and Professor Emeritus since 2017.  Russ was a native of Nebraska and completed both his BS And MS degrees in agronomy/weed science at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 1964 and 1968, respectively.  He then went on to complete his PhD in weed science at Texas A&M University in 1974 before joining Cornell as a faculty member that same year.  Russ served as President of the Northeastern Weed Science Society (NEWSS) in 1985-86 and was an active member of the society until his retirement in 2014.  He received numerous awards and honors for his weed science extension and research work including the NEWSS Distinguished Member Award (1994), NEWSS Outstanding Educator Award (2006), NEWSS Award of Merit (2014), Weed Science Society of America, (WSSA) Fellow Award (2001), and WSSA Outstanding Extension Award (2014).

For those who knew him, Russ spoke candidly and had a very dry sense of humor.  He was a cherished member of our community who will be missed by all who knew him.

Sincerely,

Toni DiTommaso

Cornell University