Dr. Ong currently serves as the Associate Department Head in the Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology at Texas A&M University in College Station. His areas of expertise include plant diagnostics, diseases of ornamentals and tree fruits. He received his PhD in Plant Pathology from Clemson University and joined Texas A&M in 2002 as the Extension Urban Plant Pathologist based at the Dallas Research & Extension Center. In 2008, he moved to College Station to direct the Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab at Texas A&M College Station (TPDDL). The Extension Plant Pathology & Microbiology(ExtPLPM) unit that he leads provide plant health support, both education and practical to stakeholders in Texas and beyond. Currently, ExtPLPM manages 3 National Plant Diagnostic Network member plant diagnostic labs in Texas. The TPDDL serves as the state hub, the Texas High Plain Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab in Amarillo focuses on small grains and row crops, and the Texas Plant Virus Diagnostic Lab in Weslaco provides support for diagnostics of emerging and exotic plant viruses. Dr. Ong continues to work with Texas Department of Agriculture and the USDA-APHIS-PPQ in areas related to pest/pathogen management and quarantines. His applied research interests include the development and optimization of pathogen detection methods; and development and implementation of best management practices to minimize and/or manage disease incidences.