Wayne was born and raised in northern California. He received his B.S. in Horticulture and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Plant Pathology, all from the University of California at Davis. Since 1984 he has been a faculty member at Cornell University’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva and has led that institution’s grape pathology program for the past 21 years, with both research and extension responsibilities. His programmatic focus is on the applied biology and practical integrated management of this crop’s major fungal diseases, utilizing both viticultural and fungicidal tools.