Dr. Michael E Compton

Mike joined the UW-Platteville School of Agriculture in 1995. His teaching responsibilities included general horticulture, introduction to environmental horticulture, crop science, landscape plant identification, landscape management, interior plants, greenhouse operation and management, ornamental horticulture, plant physiology, plant development & biotechnology, fruit and vegetable production, seminar in soils, crops and environmental horticulture, special topics in environmental horticulture, and undergraduate research in environmental horticulture. Mike has advised over 200 undergraduate students, coached the flower crop quality evaluation and design and NACTA horticulture judging teams, and advised the Ornamental Horticulture Club and Alpha Pi Chapter of Pi Alpha Xi (chartered 2006). He provided leadership for the planning and construction of the Pioneer Greenhouse and Gardens Complex, which includes 6,500 sq. ft. of greenhouse and 25,000 sq. ft. horticulture garden. Mike served as the superintendent of Pioneer Greenhouse from 1995 through 2017.

Mike is recognized for research on tissue culture and breeding of watermelon as well as tropical and native North American orchids. He has published over 50 manuscripts in refereed journals and 24 book chapters. Mike also received a utility patent with Dr. Timothy Zauche for an innovative horticultural medium recipe that uses solids from a manure digester as the main organic additive.

Mike has served several professional organizations during his career including the American Society for Horticulture Science, American Orchid Society, the Society for In Vitro Biology, the International Society for Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology, the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, Alpha Zeta, Phi Alpha Xi horticultural honor society (secretary – treasurer, 2006-2008), and Sigma Xi Research Society. Mike has served as editor for several refereed journals including Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture, HortScience, In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Plant and Propagation of Ornamental Plants.

Mike has assumed various leadership roles during his career. He was appointed Program Director of Environmental Horticulture (previously Ornamental Horticulture; 2000-2019; 2023-present), School of Agriculture Internship Coordinator (2006-2018), School of Agriculture Director (2008-2017), Assistant Dean of Operations for the College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture (2018-2019) and Assistant Provost/Assistant Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs (2019-2023) overseeing  operations of the UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County and UW-Platteville Richland Branch Campuses.

In addition, Mike has served on the Board of Directors for the Non-land-grant Agriculture and Renewable Resources Universities (NARRU) from 2011 through 2019. During his term on the NARRU board, Mike served as chair of the Communications and Marketing Committee (2011-2015), LEAD21 Liaison (2018-2019), President-elect (2015-16), President (2016-17) and Past President (2017-18).

Teaching and Advising Awards

• Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award from UW-System (1999)
• School of Agriculture Outstanding Faculty Member (2001)
• Wisconsin Teaching Fellow (2001)
• Thomas and Lee Ann Lindahl Teaching Excellence Award (2002)
• National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Teaching Award of Merit (2002)
• American Association of State Colleges of Agriculture and Renewable Resources (AASCARR) Outstanding Teaching Award (2003)
• UW-Platteville Outstanding Academic Advisor Award (2005)
• National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Faculty Advising (2006)
• Wisconsin Teaching Scholar (2007)
• Wisconsin FFA honorary service degree (2010)
• Phi Kappa Phi Excellence in Teaching Award (2017)

Research Awards

• UW-Platteville Abughalous Award for Excellence in Scholarly Research (2004)
• Wisconsin Technology Foundation’s WiSys Innovation Scholar Award (2006)

Invention Disclosures and Patents

• TH Zauche and ME Compton. 2010. Horticultural growing media. US Utility Patent #7726069
• ME Compton. 2008. Greenhouse Management Business Simulator, Invention Disclosure, WiSys Technology Foundation, Inc.
• TH Zauche and ME Compton. 2006. Horticultural growing media, US Utility Patent Application T05022US.
• TH Zauche and ME Compton. 2005. Use of manure digester products as an organic addendum to horticultural growing media, invention disclosure, WiSys Technology Foundation, Inc., Disclosure to WySis Technology Foundation.

Chapters in Professional Books:

1.       Preece, J.E. and M.E. Compton. 1991. Problems with explant exudation in micropropagation. p. 168-189. In: Bajaj, Y.P.S. (ed.). Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, Vol. 17. High-Tech and Micropropagation I. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

2.       Gray, D.J. and M.E. Compton. 1993. Grape somatic embryo dormancy and quiescence: potential of dehydrated synthetic seeds for germplasm conservation. p. 367-379. In: Redenbaugh, K. (ed.). SynSeeds: Application of Synthetic Seeds to Crop Improvement. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

3.       Gray, D.J., M.E. Compton, R.C. Harrell and D.J. Cantliffe. 1995. Somatic embryogenesis and the technology of synthetic seed. p. 126-151. In: Bajaj, Y.P.S. (ed.). Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, Vol. 30. Somatic Embryogenesis and Synthetic Seed I. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

4.       Compton, M.E. 1996. Statistical analysis of plant tissue culture data. P. 47-57. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory Exercises. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

5.       Compton, M.E. and D.J. Gray. 1996. Shoot organogenesis from watermelon cotyledon explants. P. 113-117. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory Exercises. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

6.       Compton, M.E., J.A. Saunders, and R.E. Veilleux. 1996. Use of protoplasts for plant improvement. P. 201-214. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory Exercises. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

7.       Gray, D.J., E. Hiebert, C.M. Lin, M.E. Compton, and V.P. Gaba. 1996. Construction and use of a simple gene gun for particle bombardment. P. 283-290. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory Exercises. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

8.       Veilleux, R.E. and M.E. Compton. 1996. Isolation, culture and fusion of tobacco and potato protoplasts. P. 215-226. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory Exercises. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

9.       Compton, M.E. 1999. Statistical analysis of plant tissue culture data. p. 61-74. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory Exercises, second edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

10.    Compton, M.E. and D.J. Gray. 1999. Shoot organogenesis from watermelon cotyledon explants. p. 149-158.  In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory Exercises, second edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

11.    Compton, M.E., J.A. Saunders, and R.E. Veilleux. 1999. Use of protoplasts for plant improvement. p. 249-262. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory Exercises, second edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

12.    Veilleux, R.E. and M.E. Compton. 1999. Isolation, culture and fusion of tobacco and potato protoplasts. p. 263-276. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory Exercises, second edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

13.    Gray, D.J., E. Hiebert, C.M. Lin, M.E. Compton, and V.P. Gaba. 1999. Construction and use of a simple gene gun for particle bombardment. p. 329-336. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory Exercises. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

14.    Compton, M.E., D.J. Gray and V.P. Gaba. 2004. Genetic transformation of watermelon. p. 425-434. In: I.S. Curtis (ed). Transgenic Crops of the World - Essential Protocols. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.

15.    Compton, M.E. 2005. Elements of in vitro Research. p. 55-72. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Development and Biotechnology. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

16.    Gray, D.J., E. Hiebert, C.M. Lin, M.E. Compton, and V.P. Gaba. 2005. Construction and use of a simple gene gun for particle bombardment. p. 265-272. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Development and Biotechnology.C RC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

17.    Veilleux, R.E.,  M.E. Compton and J.A. Saunders. 2005. Use of protoplasts for plant improvement. p. 213-224. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Development and Biotechnology. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

18.    Compton, M.E. 2006. Use of statistics in plant biotechnology.  pp. 147-165. In: Loyola-Vargas, V.M. and F. Vázquz-Flota (eds.). Plant Cell Protocols, Second Edition. The Humana Press, Inc., Totowa, N.J.

19.    Compton, M.E. 2008. Evaluation of data from asexual propagation experiments. p. 127-140. In: R. Trigiano and C. Beyl (eds.), Plant Propagation: Concepts and Laboratory Exercises. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 

20.    Compton, M.E. 2010. Elements of in vitro research. p. 57-73. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Cell Culture, Development and Biotechnology. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

21.    Veilleux, R.E. and M.E. Compton. 2010. Isolation, culture and fusion of tobacco and potato protoplasts. p. 373-384. In: Trigiano, R.N. and D.J. Gray (eds.). Plant Cell Culture, Development and Biotechnology. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla. 

22.    Compton, M.E. 2012. Use of statistics in plant biotechnology.  p. 109-127. In: Loyola-Vargas, V.M. and N. Ochoa-Alejo (eds.). Plant Cell Protocols, Third Edition. The Humana Press, Inc., Totowa, N.J.

23.    Compton, M.E. 2015. Evaluation of data from asexual propagation experiments. pp. 203-216.  In: C.A. Beyl and R.N. Trigiano and (eds.), Plant Propagation: Concepts and Laboratory Exercises, Second Edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 

24.    Compton, M.E. 2024. Use of statistics in plant cell and tissue culture. (in press). In: Loyola-Vargas, V.M. and N. Ochoa-Alejo (eds.). Plant Cell Protocols, Fifth Edition. The Humana Press, Inc., Totowa, N.J.

 Publications in Professional Journals and Extension:

1.       Compton, M.E. and J.E. Preece. 1987. Exudation and explant establishment. International Association of Plant Tissue Culture Newsletter 50:9-18.

2.       Compton, M.E. and J.E. Preece. 1988. Effects of phenolic compounds on tobacco callus and blackberry shoot cultures. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 113:160-163.

3.       Compton, M.E. and J.E. Preece. 1988. Response of tobacco callus to shoot tip exudation from five species. HortScience 23:208-210.

4.       Compton, M.E. and R.E. Veilleux. 1991. Variation for genetic recombination among tomato plants regenerated from three tissue culture systems. Genome 34:810-817.

5.       Compton, M.E. and R.E. Veilleux. 1991. Shoot, root and flower morphogenesis on tomato inflorescence explants. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 24:223-231.

6.        Compton, M.E. and R.E. Veilleux. 1992. Thin cell layer morphogenesis. Horticultural Reviews 14:239-264.

7.       Compton, M.E. and D.J. Gray. 1992. Micropropagation as a means of rapidly propagating triploid and tetraploid watermelon. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society 105:352-354.

8.       Compton, M.E., C.M. Benton, D.J. Gray and D.D. Songstad. 1992. Plant recovery from maize somatic embryos subjected to controlled relative humidity dehydration. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Plant 28P:197-201.

9.       Compton, M.E. and D.J. Gray. 1993. Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from immature cotyledons of watermelon. Plant Cell Reports 12:61-65.

10.    Compton, M.E. and D.J. Gray. 1993. Shoot organogenesis and plant regeneration from cotyledons of diploid, triploid and tetraploid watermelon. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 118:151-157. 

11.    Compton, M.E., D.J. Gray and G.W. Elmstrom. 1993. A simple protocol for micropropagating diploid and tetraploid watermelon using shoot-tip explants. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 33:211-217.

12.    Compton, M.E. and D.J. Gray. 1993. Sucrose, abscisic acid and methylglyoxal bis- (guanylhydrazone) affect grape somatic embryogenesis. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticul­tural Society 106:124-128.

13.    Gray, D.J., D.W. McColley and M.E. Compton. 1993. High-frequency somatic embryogenesis from quiescent seed cotyledons of Cucumis melo cultivars. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 118:425-432.

14.    Compton, M.E. 1994. Statistical methods suitable for the analysis of plant tissue culture data. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 37:217-242.

15.    Compton, M.E. and D.J. Gray. 1994. Adventitious shoot organogenesis and plant regeneration from cotyledons of tetraploid watermelon. HortScience 29:211-213.

16.    Compton, M.E. and D.J. Gray. 1994. Micropropagation of 'Southern Home' hybrid grape. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticul­tural Society 107:308-310.

17.    Compton, M.E., D.J. Gray and G.W. Elmstrom. 1994. Regeneration of tetraploid plants from cotyledons of diploid watermelon. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticul­tural Society 107:107-109.

18.    Gray, D.J., E. Hiebert, C.M. Lin, M.E. Compton, D.W. McColley, R.J. Harrison and V.P. Gaba. 1994. Simplified construction and performance of a device for particle bombardment. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 37:179-184.

19.    Gray, D.J., M.E. Compton, E. Hiebert, C.M. Lin, K.T. Kelley, D.W. McColley and V.P. Gaba. 1995. Use of in vitro methods and genetic transformation to expedite the development of seedless watermelon and muskmelons. Proc. Symp. on Biotech. at 1890 Institutes. Florida A&M University.

20.    Compton, M.E., D.J. Gray and G.W. Elmstrom. 1996. Identification of tetraploid regenerants from cotyledons of diploid watermelon cultured in vitro. Euphytica 87:165-172.

21.    Compton, M.E. and D.J. Gray. 1996. Effects of sucrose and methylglyoxal Bis-(gyanylhydrazone) on controlling grape embryogenesis. Vitis 35:1-6.

22.    Compton, M.E. 1999.  Dark pretreatment improves adventitious shoot organogenesis from cotyledons of diploid watermelon. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 58:185-188.

23.   Compton, M.E. and C.W. Mize. 1999. Statistical considerations for in vitro research: I - Birth of an idea to collecting data. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant 35:115-121.

24.    Compton, M.E., N. Barnett and D.J. Gray. 1999. Use of Fluorescein Diacetate (FDA) to Determine Ploidy of in Vitro Watermelon Shoots. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 58:199-203.

25.   Mize, C.W., K. Koehler and M.E. Compton. 1999. Statistical considerations for in vitro research: II - Data to presentation. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant 35:122-126.

26.    Compton, M.E. 2000. Interaction between Explant Size and Cultivar Impacts Shoot Organogenic Competence of Watermelon Cotyledons. HortScience 35:749-750.

27.    Compton, M.E. 2000. Determining the ploidy of in vitro-cultured watermelon shoots. Agricell Report 35:35.

28.    Compton, M.E. and J.M. Koch. 2001. Influence of plant preservative mixture (ppm) on adventitious organogenesis in melon, petunia and tobacco. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Plant 37:259-261.

29.    Compton, M.E., B.L. Pierson and J.E. Staub. 2001. Micropropagation for Recovery of Cucumis hystrix. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 64:63-67.

30.    Compton, M.E. and J.M. Koch. 2001. Use of PPM to control microbial contamination. Agricell Report 36:41-42; 37:11; 36:21.

31.    Compton, M.E. 2002. Results of a Horticulture Survey Conducted at High Schools in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. NACTA Journal 46:44-49.

32.    Compton, M.E. 2004. Development of an Internet-based study guide to help students identify interior plant species. Acta Horticulturae (ISHS) 634:255-260.

33.   Compton, M.E., D.J. Gray and V.P Gaba. 2004. Use of tissue culture and biotechnology for the genetic improvement of watermelon. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 77:231-243.

34.    Bahr, L.R. and M.E. Compton. 2004. Competence for in vitro bulblet regeneration among eight Lilium genotypes. HortScience 39:127-129.

35.    Dhekney, S.A., Z. T. Li, M.E. Compton and D.J. Gray. 2009. Optimizing initiation and maintenance of Vitis embryogenic cultures. HortScience 44:1400-1406. 

36.    Compton, M.E. and T.H. Zauche. 2018. Growth of Showy and Yellow Lady Slipper Orchids in Soilless Media Containing Anaerobically Digested Dairy Fiber. HortTechnology 28: (Submitted for Publication).

Doctor of Philosophy, 1990

       Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, Horticulture

       Specialization: plant physiology and plant genetics.

              Dissertation title: De novo morphogenesis on tomato thin cell layers and variation for genetic recombination among plantlets regenerated from three tissue culture systems.

Master of Science, 1986

       Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, Plant and Soil Science.

Thesis Title: Stage I exudation, plant growth regulators and phenolic compounds alter the growth and development of tobacco callus.

Bachelor of Science, 1983

       Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, Plant and Soil Science.

Associate of Applied Science, 1981

      Danville Area Community College, Danville, IL, Commercial Floriculture.

Post-Doctoral Education:

Postdoctoral Research Associate, 1990 to 1995.

Central Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 5336 University Ave., Leesburg, FL 34748, 6/90 - 7/95.