Employment Sought
Soil Scientist
Ronald F. Korcak, Ph.D.
Ronald F. Korcak, Ph.D.
Home
Address: 4102 Tennyson Road
University Park, MD 20782
Contacts: 301-789-7190 (cell) 301-277-0449 (home)
E-mail: RKorcak@mac.com
Education: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Bachelors of Science (1968 - Major: Agronomy)
University of Maryland, College Park
Masters of Science (1973 - Major: Soil Chemistry)
Doctor of Philosophy (1977 - Major: Soil Chemistry;
Minors: Biometrics and Inorganic Chemistry)
Professional Experience
1967-1968 Soil Science Trainee
USDA, Soil Conservation Service, Utica, NY
1969-1971 Soils Analyst
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Ft. Meade, MD & Long Bien, Vietnam
1977-1993 Soil Scientist, Fruit Laboratory
Plant Sciences Institute, Agricultural Research Service
Beltsville, MD
1983-1985 Lecturer on Fruit Crops, Department of Horticulture
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
1993-1995 Research Leader, Fruit Laboratory
Plant Sciences Institute, Agricultural Research Service
Beltsville, MD
1995-2000 Associate Director, Plant Sciences Institute
Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD
2000-2008 Associate Director, Beltsville Area
Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD
(Federal Senior Executive Service position)
Professional Associations
International Plant Nutrition Council 1980-1996
International Center for Aggregates Research 1992-2000
Other Activities
Special Member - Graduate Faculty, University of Maryland,
1998-present
Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education –
Administrative Council - ARS Representative –
1998-2001
Scientific & Technical Advisory Council for the EPA Chesapeake
Bay Program ARS Representative 2000-2007
Anacostia Watershed Society - Member 2006 –present
Editorial Boards
Journal of Sustainable Agriculture (1998-2007)
Journal of Small Fruit and Viticulture (1990-2004)
Significant Executive Development Training
Congressional Briefing Training, Washington, DC , 1994
Science, Technology and Public Policy Seminar, OPM,
Lancaster, PA, 1996
Leadership for a Democratic Society, Charlottesville, VA, 1997
Acting Associate Area Director (detail), ARS, College
Station, TX, 1998 - 4 months
Acting Area Director (detail), ARS, College Station,
TX, 2006 - 4 months
Military Service
U.S. Army (Vietnam Veteran), 1969-1971
Coal Combustion Co-Product
Utilization Publication List - Ron Korcak
1. Korcak, R. F. 1979. Fluidized bed material as a
calcium source for apples. HortScience 14:163164.
2. Korcak, R. F. 1980. Fluidized bed material as a
lime substitute and calcium source for apple
seedlings. 1. Environ. Quality 9: 147-151.
3. Korcak, R. F. 1980. Effects of applied sewage sludge
compost and fluidized bed material on apple
seedling growth. Communications Soil Science
Plant Analysis 11:571585.
4. Korcak, R. F. 1982. Effectiveness of fluidized bed
material as a calcium source for apples.
J. Amer. Soc. Horticultural Science 107:1138-1142.
5. Wrubel, J. J. Jr., R. F. Korcak, and N. F. Childers. 1982.
Orchard studies utilizing fluidized bed material.
Communications Soil Science Plant Analysis
13: 1071-1080.
6. Korcak, R. F. 1984. Utilization of fluidized bed material
as a calcium and sulfur source for apples.
Communications Soil Science Plant Analysis 15:879-891.
7. Korcak, R. F., J. J. Wrubel, Jr., and . F. Childers. 1984.
Peach orchard studies utilizing fluidized bed material.
J. Plant Nutrition 7: 1597-1604.
8. Korcak, R. F. 1985 . Effect of coal combustion waste used
as lime substitutes on nutrition of apple in three soils.
Plant & Soil 85:437-441.
9. Korcak, R. F. 1988. Fluidized bed material applied at
disposal levels: Effects on an apple orchard. J. Environ.
Quality 17:469-473.
10. Stout, W. L. , J. L. Hem, R. F. Korcak, and C. W. Carlson.
1988. Manual for applying fluidized bed combustion
residue to agricultural lands. USDA, ARS-74, 15p.
11 . Korcak, R. F. 1993. Utilization of fluidized bed combustion
byproducts in horticulture. Proc. Tenth International
Ash Use Symposium. Vol. 1, pp. 12-1 - 12-9, Amer.
Coal Ash Assoc., Orlando, FL.
12. Korcak, R. F. 1993. High-gypsum byproducts as soil
amendments for horticultural crops.
HortTechnology 3: 156-161.
13. Korcak, R. F. and W. D. Kemper. 1993. Long-term
effects of gypsiferous coal combustion
ash applied at disposal levels on soil chemical
properties. Plant & Soil 154:29-32.
14. Korcak, R. F. 1995. FBC residue as a surface mulch:
Effects on an apple orchard, Proceedings Eleventh
International Symposium on Use and Management
of Coal Combustion By-Products (CCBs), Vol. 1,
p. 18.1-18 .9, Orlando, FL, January 15-19.
15. Korcak, R. F. 1995. Products utilization in agriculture:
Past experiences and potentials for the future,
Proceedings Soc. for Mining, Metallurgy, and
Exploration, Preprint Number 95-56, Denver,
CO, March 6-9.
16. Korcak, R. F. 1995. Utilization of coal combustion
by-products in agriculture and horticulture,
pp 107-130, In : D. L. Karlen, R. J. Wright, and
W. O. Kemper, Eds. "Agriculture Utilization
of Urban and Industrial By-Products", ASA Special
Publication No. 58, Madison, WI.
17. Ritchey, K. D., C. M. Feldhake, M. Zaifnejad, R. F. Korcak,
W. L. Stout, and D. Norton 1995. Use of FGD Gypsum
in management of acid soils, Proceedings 4th
International Conf. FGD and Other Synthetic Gypsum,
ORTECH Corp., Toronto, Canada, May 17-18.
18. Korcak. R. F. and W. L. Stout. 1995. Use of FBC ash to
stabilize dairy barn feedlots, minimize nutrient
pollution, and develop new utilization outlets. Proc.
Advanced Coal-Fired Power Systems '95 Review
Meeting, Volume 1:362-366, U. S. Dept. of
Energy, Morgantown, WV.
Example of aggregate fines & scrap wallboard
utilization publication:
1. Korcak, R. F., R. Meininger, and Peter A. Yost. 2000. Beneficial
Reuse of Aggregate Mineral Fines and Scrap New Construction
Wallboard, p. 583-603, In: W. A. Dick (ed.) Land Application of
Agricultural, Industrial, and Municipal By-Products, Soil Science
Society of America, Inc., Madison, WI.
To be published:
1. Clark, R. B., K. D. Ritchey, V. C. Baligar, R. F. Korcak. and
R. J. Wright. 2008. Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Product
Use on Agricultural Land.
