Plant Health 2021 Online Preview: A Conversation with Plenary Speaker Professor Marin Talbot Brewer - American ...
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www.apsnet.org
May 2021 Volume 55 • Number 5
Plant Health 2021 Online Preview: A Conversation with
Plenary Speaker Professor Marin Talbot Brewer
Jim Bradeen, APS Internal research on gummy stem blight, a fungal pathogens. We will hear about her exciting
Communications Officer disease of cucurbits. When the student research during Plant Health 2021 Online—
presented data on the emergence of triazole you won’t want to miss her plenary address
A plant pathol- resistance in one of the Stagonosporopsis on Monday, August 2.
ogist, a fungal cell species responsible for this disease, one Recently, I talked with Marin about her
biologist, and a audience member, a medical mycologist, career, her research, and her advice for early-
medical mycolo- perked up. Azole resistance was also on the career professionals. I never grow tired of
gist walk into a rise in Aspergillus fumigatus, causal agent learning how others get involved in our field;
conference room. of aspergillosis, which is a serious human for so many us, serendipity plays a key role.
Nope, it wasn’t the medical condition with high mortality rates, In Marin’s case, an unfamiliar word, “phyto-
start of a joke, it especially in those with compromised im- pathology”, caught her eye in a job advertise-
was a meeting of mune systems. Intellectual sparks flew as ment. She had just graduated with a B.S. de-
the University of the scientists discussed the implications gree from the University of Cincinnati and
Georgia’s Fungal and their newfound common ground. That was applying for a research staff position
Group—a multi- moment changed the course of Marin’s re- with USDA-ARS. A visit to her local library
disciplinary weekly meeting of mycophiles. search. Today, she leads a project focused
On this particular day, Prof. Marin Talbot on the role of fungicide use in agriculture in
Brewer’s student was presenting their the emergence of drug resistance in human Plant Health 2021, continued on page 3
Voting Is Now Open for Vice President and
Councilor-at-Large
The APS Nominations Committee is dent. Candidates for councilor-at-large are tact APS headquarters (apshq@scisoc.org) if
pleased to announce that Niklaus Grünwald, Leonardo de la Fuente, Auburn University, you do not receive your electronic ballot.
USDA-ARS-Horticultural Crops Research and Sydney Everhart, University of Nebraska- Results of the 2021 election will be an-
Unit, and Jeffrey B. Jones, University of Lincoln. Candidate information begins on nounced in the July issue of Phytopathology
Florida, are running for vice president. Fol- page 4 of this issue. News and on the APS website. ■
lowing a term as vice president, the elected Eligible voting APS members will receive
candidate will serve successive terms as an electronic ballot. Voting is open from
president-elect, president, and past presi- May 5 through May 31, 2021. Please con-
In This Issue
APS Foundation Award ����������������������������7
PPB����������������������������������������������������������7
OPRO������������������������������������������������������9
APS Publications ������������������������������������10
Donors of Distinction ����������������������������12
People ����������������������������������������������������12
Classifieds������������������������������������������������14
Graduate Student Spotlight ��������������������15
Research Notebook ��������������������������������16
Niklaus Grünwald Jeffrey B. Jones Leonardo de la Fuente Sydney Everhart
Phytopathology News May 2021 1
PLANT PATHOLOGY’S PERPLEXING PAST: THE REST
Editor-in-Chief: Kenny Seebold
OF THE STORY
Editor: Jordana Anker
Design: Jordana Anker
Advertising Sales: Brianna Plank Bacterial Mosaic of Wheat
Phytopathology News (ISSN 0278-0267) is published monthly, with the
August/September issue combined, by The American Phytopatholog- Robert M. Harveson, University of Nebraska, Panhandle REC, Scottsbluff
ical Society (APS) at 3352 Sherman Ct, Ste 202, St. Paul, MN 55121,
U.S.A. Phone: +1.651.454.7250, Fax: +1.651.454.0766, E-mail: aps@
scisoc.org, Web: www.apsnet.org. Phytopathology News is distributed to For the last two months, I have written consecutive stories of diseases caused by Gram-
all APS members. Subscription price to nonmembers is $116.
positive bacteria that have appeared in Nebraska agricultural production over the last cen-
Submission Guidelines: Address all editorial correspondence to: Kenny
Seebold, Valent USA, 608 Havana Court, Lexington, KY 40511 U.S.A. tury. This report will chronical the arrival and departure of yet another example of this
Phone: +1.859.940.5184; E-mail: PhytoNewsEditor@scisoc.org. In or- remarkable phenomenon. The resulting outcome on Nebraska’s wheat production in the
der to ensure timely publication of your news items and announcements,
please send in material six weeks prior to the date of publication. Material late 1970s is the rest of the story.
should be no more than six months old when submitted. Submission of
materials as electronic files, via e-mail, will speed processing. For informa-
tion on submitting electronic images contact Jordana Anker. Deadline for
Bacterial Mosaic
submitting items for the July 2021 issue is May 20, 2021.
Bacterial mosaic, caused by another distinct subspecies of Clavibacter michiganensis
APS Leadership (C. michiganensis subsp. tessellarius) was first identified as a new disease of wheat in
Council
President: Mark Gleason
the spring of 1976 and was almost immediately demonstrated to be distributed widely
President Elect: Amy Charkowski throughout Nebraska and one county in western Iowa. Incidence and severity of the dis-
Vice President: Ron Walcott
Immediate Past President: Lindsey du Toit ease varied greatly among affected wheat fields, with no apparent association with any spe-
Internal Communications Officer: James Bradeen cific cultivar. It was eventually detected from more than a dozen (at least 16) cultivars. By
Treasurer: Lawrence Datnoff
Senior Councilor-at-Large: Katherine L. Stevenson 1979, the disease had been documented from wheat fields representing 17 counties er-
Councilor-at-Large: David Gent
Councilor-at-Large: Courtney Gallup
ratically spread over a 500-mile range, extending from far western Nebraska (Scotts Bluff
Divisional Councilor: Ashok Chanda County) eastward to Crawford County in western Iowa. Then, surprisingly, the disease
Publications Councilor: Krishna Subbarao
Executive Vice President: Amy Hope completely disappeared from commercial wheat production by 1980.
Editors-in-Chief
APS PRESS: Darin Eastburn Symptoms and Conditions Favoring Disease
MPMI: Jeanne M. Harris
Phytobiomes: Johan Leveau The disease was characterized
PhytoFrontiers: Niklaus Grünwald
Phytopathology: Nian Wang
by small yellow lesions with unde-
Phytopathology News: Kenny Seebold fined margins that were densely and
Plant Disease: Alexander V. Karasev
Plant Disease Management Reports: Kerik Cox uniformly scattered over entire leaf
The Plant Health Instructor: Brantlee Spakes Richter
Plant Health Progress: Pamela Roberts
surfaces. Its name was derived from
Board and Office Chairs and Directors
the foliar mosaic pattern. It resem-
2026 Professional Development Forum: Renée Rioux bled viral yellowing, which occurred
Academic Unit Leader Forum Chair: Steve Jeffers
APS Foundation Board Chair: David M. Gadoury only on wheat. No other symptom-
Divisional Forum Chair: Walt Mahaffee atic hosts were ever identified from
PPB Chair: Rick Bennett
Publications Board Chair: Krishna V. Subbarao any economically important crop
OE Director: Monica M. Lewandowski
OIP Director: Susan D. Cohen
plant, although asymptomatic infec-
OPSR Director: Jeffrey Stein tions were successfully accomplished
OPRO Director: Nicole M. Donofrio
AMB Director: Paul Esker on numerous species of grasses after
Division Officers greenhouse inoculations, including barley, sweet corn, oats, wild rye, Sudan grass,
Caribbean
Divisional Forum Rep: Gilberto Olaya
and smooth brome, but not sorghum, shattercane, or the supposed progenitor of corn,
President: Alberto M. Gochez teosinte.
Past President: Carolina Cedano-Saavedra
Vice President: Judith K. Brown
Mosaic symptoms routinely appeared just before heading (late May) and tended to
Secretary-Treasurer: Jose Carlos Verle Rodrigues fade late in the season after senescence progressed, although the pathogen was still easily
North Central Division
Divisional Forum Rep: Loren J. Giesler isolated from dead and dying foliage. The optimal temperature for infection and symp-
President: Daren S. Mueller tom development was never established; however, experimental work in the greenhouse
Immediate Past President: Anne E. Dorrance
Vice President: Loren J. Giesler suggested a pathogen preference for relatively cool temperatures. Symptom development
Secretary-Treasurer: Febina M. Mathew
Northeastern Division
occurred after artificially inoculated plants were incubated at 19–20°C (66°F), whereas
Divisional Forum Rep: Beth K. Gugino no symptoms were induced at 59 or 77°F (15 or 25°C).
President: Ann L. Hazelrigg
Immediate Past President: Kari A. Peter
Vice President: Rosa E. Raudales Pathogen Similarities
Secretary-Treasurer: Nicholas Brazee
Pacific Division Like the two Clavibacter pathogens discussed previously in this series of reports,
Divisional Forum Rep: Walter F. Mahaffee
President: Akif Eskalen
C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis (Goss’ wilt of corn, Phytopathology News, November
Past President: Inga A. Zasada 2019) and C. michiganensis subsp. insidiosus (bacterial wilt of alfalfa, Phytopathology News,
President-Elect: Jeremiah Dung
Secretary-Treasurer: Jane Stewart
April 2021), C. michiganensis subsp. tessellarius was seedborne, producing Gram-positive,
Potomac Division coryneform rods. It also produced orange-pigmented growth in culture, as did C. michi-
Divisional Forum Rep: Matthew T. Kasson
President: Alyssa Koehler ganensis subsp. nebraskensis.
Immediate Past President: Christopher Clarke Analyses utilizing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of cellular proteins showed
Vice President: Sudeep A. Mathew
Secretary-Treasurer: Rachel Melnick-Lippart C. michiganensis subsp. tessellarius was closely related to the two other Clavibacter species.
Southern Division
Divisional Forum Rep: Nicole A. Gauthier
It was further demonstrated to be distinct from other known Gram-positive wheat patho-
President: Fulya Baysal-Gurel gens causing gumming diseases of inflorescences (C. tritici and C. iranicus). The subspecific
President-Elect: Lindsey Thiessen
Vice President: Daniel Anco
Past President: Paul Price
Secretary-Treasurer: Rebecca A. Melanson
Perplexing Past, continued on page 3
Phytopathology News May 2021 2
Plant Health 2021, continued from page 1 nine and a half years, Marin’s research has A moment with Marin is sure to enthuse,
focused on the impacts of emerging disease and I can only imagine what an amazing
led Marin to Plant Pathology, the revered threats to plants and people. She applies a student mentor she must be! So, what ad-
tome by George Agrios. She was hooked! population framework to understand disease vice does Marin have for those just starting
Soon after, Marin started her position with biology and how drug resistance is shaping out in the field of plant pathology? “Curios-
the ARS New England Plant, Soil and fungal evolution. Her research is supported ity is a must. Curiosity and personal drive
Water Research Lab in Orono, ME, and by numerous grants from competitive will get you through those tough days.
learned she loved the field of plant pathol- sources, including the National Science Simply put, find something you love!” It
ogy. She pursued an M.S. degree from Uni- Foundation, USDA-AFRI, the Centers for is clear that Marin has found her passion in
versity of Maine, where she took her first Disease Control and Prevention, and com- plant pathology. Don’t miss her plenary talk,
mycology class. Later, she earned her Ph.D. modity boards. Marin is also an award-win- “Does Agricultural Use of Triazole Fungi-
degree in plant pathology and plant-microbe ning educator. Her popular Fungi, Friends, cides Contribute to Antifungal Resistance
biology from Cornell University. Marin and Foes course attracted 500 students this of Aspergillus fumigatus in Humans?” on
credits her time at Cornell for piquing her semester, and she uses the course to raise Monday, August 2, as part of Plant Health
interest in fungal evolution and developing interest in fungi and the field of mycology. 2021 Online.
her skills as a fungal biologist. Marin is also the faculty coordinator for a Learn more about Prof. Marin Talbot
Today, Marin is an associate professor of USDA-REEU, providing research experi- Brewer and other Keynote and Plenary
mycology in the department of Plant Pathol- ences for underrepresented undergraduate presenters. ■
ogy at the University of Georgia. For the past students.
Perplexing Past, continued from page 2 were not formally identified as being C. michiganensis subsp. tessel-
larius.
name for this pathogen, “tessellarius,” refers to a mosaic stone maker, Although C. michiganensis subsp. tessellarius never became a seri-
or someone who makes tessellae, which are small squares of ceramic ous issue for wheat production in Nebraska, it was demonstrated to
tile, stone, or glass used in making mosaic designs. be capable of killing the infected plant’s flag leaf under greenhouse
conditions. Thus, if it appears again, it still poses as a potentially
What Has Become of Bacterial Mosaic of significant problem today. Now you know the rest of the story.
Wheat?
The abrupt arrival and rapid exodus of bacterial mosaic after Photos: Courtesy Robert Harveson, University of Nebraska, Panhandle
only a few years (1976–1980) was an intriguing, but baffling, Research and Extension Center.
development. New resistant cultivars were rapidly developed in
response to this new disease, but it disappeared before they were REFERENCES
ever widely deployed for management. The University of Nebraska– Bradbury, J. F. 1998. Clavibacter michiganense subsp. tessellarius.
Lincoln’s now retired bacteriologist, Anne Vidaver, humorously IMI Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria. No. 1042. CABI, Wall-
stated that this pathogen only remained around long enough for ingford, UK.
one of her graduate students (Randall Carlson) to complete his Carlson, R. R., and Vidaver, A. K. 1982. Bacterial mosaic, a new
degree working on this disease. Corynebacterial disease of wheat. Plant Dis. 66:76-79.
Bacterial mosaic also Carlson, R. R., and Vidaver, A. K. 1982. Taxonomy of Corynebacte-
has been incredibly rare in rium plant pathogens, including a new pathogen of wheat, based
wheat production. Other on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cellular proteins. Int. J.
than the widespread dis- Syst. Bacteriol. 32:315-326.
tribution throughout Ne- Harveson, R. M. 2015. The Bacterium of Many Colors. American
braska in the late 1970s, Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN. ■
the pathogen has not been
reported from natural field
infections since. On two
occasions, my lab in Scotts-
bluff has isolated slow-grow-
ing, orange-colored, Gram-
positive bacteria from
eaves exhibiting mosaic-
type symptoms from wheat
variety research plots in
Box Butte County, near
Hemingford, NE, but they
Phytopathology News May 2021 3
Candidates for APS Office
Candidate for Vice President / Niklaus Grünwald
Research Plant chives, altmetrics, and standardized author APS is a remarkably nimble and adaptive
Pathologist, USDA- guidelines. This combined effort by all organization. We live in some of the most
ARS-Horticultural editors-in-chief and the APS publications challenging times, facing major social, eco-
Crops Research Unit staff has resulted in positioning APS jour- nomic, environmental, and scientific chal-
nals for success in an ever more competitive lenges. Plant pathologists play a major role
Leadership world. As a result, APS is one of a very select in solving critical societal threats posed by
Experience number of societies that did not have to sell climate change, energy and food insecurity,
After completing its journals to for-profit publishing houses. and environmental degradation. APS is a
a Ph.D. degree in visionary and global leader in plant health
ecology/plant pathol- Service to APS and will play a major role in addressing the
ogy at UC Davis, I worked for 4 years in Editor-in-chief, PhytoFrontiers, 2019– grand challenges facing our society. APS
Toluca, Mexico, as a postdoc for Cornell present; Chair, APS Emerging Pathogens needs to provide the moral courage and
University and associate scientist for Initiative, Cleveland, OH, 2019; Member, science base to address plant health issues
CIMMYT, studying the evolution of po- APS Financial Advisory Board, 2018– in the coming decades to feed over 9 billion
tato late blight at the center of origin. In 2019; Chair, APS Publications Board, people by 2050.
2001, I became a research plant pathologist 2013–2016, 2016–2019; APS PMN Task Our discipline is changing, and the pace
studying cool season food legume diseases Force, 2018; Editor-in-Chief, Phytopathol- of change is accelerating. When I did my
for the USDA Agricultural Research Service ogy, 2009–2011; APS Strategic Exchange Ph.D. research, my work used classical micro-
(USDA-ARS) in Prosser, WA. In 2004, I Forum, 2014–2015; APS Thought Leader biological and plant pathological methods.
relocated to Corvallis, OR, to start a new Workgroup, 2013; Chair, APS Journals Today, we can sequence a pathogen genome
research program with the USDA-ARS on Task Force, 2012; APS Visionary Forum, for tens of dollars; use drones, unmanned
the sudden oak death pathogen Phytophthora 2010–2012; Member, APS Publications robots, or autonomous vehicles to measure
ramorum. Here, I also serve as a professor Board, 2009–2011, 2019–present; APS Ad plant performance in real time; and geneti-
(courtesy) in the Department of Botany and Hoc Committee on Emerging Issues, 2009; cally edit genes. IoT and AI are starting to
Plant Pathology and the Center for Genome APS Leadership Committee, 2009; APS Ad infiltrate farms, research labs, teaching, and
Research and Biocomputing at Oregon State Hoc International Relationships Commit- extension. This explosion of unprecedented
University. My recent work has focused on tee, 2008–2009; Senior editor, Phytopathol- ecological and genomic data and tools re-
understanding the population structure and ogy, 2006–2008; Associate editor, Phytopa- quires new transdisciplinary approaches to
evolution of Phytophthora pathogens. This thology, 2005; Chair, Genetics Committee, capitalize on big data and novel technolo-
work has resulted in outreach and extension 2005; Senior editor, Plant Health Instructor, gies. APS can help provide the extension,
efforts that have provided the science base 2002–2005; APS Office of International education, and knowledge resources needed
for management and mitigation of sudden Programs, 2004–2007; APS Office of Elec- to harness these new opportunities.
oak death for regulatory agencies and stake- tronic Communication, 2002; Chair, Epide- APS should continue to modernize our
holders. Our lab has characterized migra- miology Committee, 2000. meetings and how we deliver information.
tions of the sudden oak death pathogen For example, despite the COVID-19 pan-
in North America and globally, character- Other Professional Service demic, the Plant Health 2020 conference,
ized populations of the potato late blight Founding editor-in-chief, CABI Agricul- held exclusively online, was a huge success,
pathogen in Mexico, and developed widely ture and Biosciences, 2019–present; Scien- with over 2,400 attendees from 75 coun-
adopted computational tools for character- tific Advisory Board, Center for Genome tries. Given the success of this meeting, APS
izing populations and microbiomes. These Research and Biocomputing, Oregon State should explore virtual or hybrid meetings in
novel tools developed by gifted students and University, Corvallis, OR, 2018–2020; Ad- the future.
postdocs have given us the unique opportu- visory Board member, agriRxiv preprint ser- Our society is going through a period
nity to present workshops at APS and other ver, 2020–present; Associate editor, Mycolo- dominated by fake news and increasing re-
international meetings. Beyond research, gia, 2015–2018; Editor, PeerJ, 2013–2019; ports of unreproducible or falsified research.
much of my professional achievements have Editor, PLoS One, 2013–2019; Advisory APS needs to reinforce itself as a beacon of
focused on APS journals. APS journals are a Committee member, World Phytophthora hope and integrity based on the high quality
core activity within APS and sustain many Collection, UC Riverside, 2007–2019; and rigor in our daily science. APS needs to
APS activities. I had the honor of serving Steering Committee member, Oomycete expand our public presence and engage more
as editor-in-chief and two-term chair of the Molecular Genetics Network, 2007–2010; with journalists and the general public to ad-
Publications Board. At the time, APS was Editor, Plant Pathology, 2005–2013; Com- vocate for evidence-based approaches to im-
facing stiff competition from open access mittee member, Pisum Crop Germplasm proving plant health. This includes science-
journals, and submissions were declining. Committee, 2001–2004; Committee mem- based evidence promoting gene editing and
Furthermore, a range of new developments ber, Variety Release Committee for Cereals other controversial approaches that have the
had not yet been adopted into the APS pub- and Legumes, Washington State University, potential to provide food security and envi-
lishing platforms. As a result of Publications 2001–2004. ronmental stewardship.
Board leadership, we successfully launched Meanwhile, many plant pathology depart-
two new open access journals, transitioned Statement of Vision for APS ments are merging into larger schools or de-
Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions to open APS has shaped who I am today through
access, improved turnaround, and adopted numerous opportunities for professional
ORCID, new article content, preprint ar- development, enrichment, and networking. Candidates, continued on page 5
Phytopathology News May 2021 4
Candidates, continued from page 4 I grew up in Venezuela, and my family those less fortunate than we are. While APS
still lives there. Venezuela is now a failed has made great strides in advancing equal
partments or are disappearing altogether; state with severe poverty, repression, and in- opportunity and inclusiveness, we are not
thus, we are losing our identity as plant pa- stability. I had the privilege of finding a new there yet. Thus, we need to continue ad-
thologists. Hence, it will be more important home in the United States with my family. vancing diversity in all its various forms.
than ever to provide different venues for This experience has marked me and opened I am humbled by this nomination, and
maintaining and growing our member base my senses to those of us who face discrimi- if elected, I promise to do my very best to
and providing opportunities for networking, nation or harsh economic or political reali- serve our members with integrity, dedica-
outreach, extension, and education. ties. We need to continue to look out for tion, and vision. ■
Candidates for APS Office
Candidate for Vice President / Jeffrey B. Jones
Distinguished Profes- life and something I have enjoyed being Interactions), APS recently established the
sor, University of committed to, whether as a committee open access journal Phytobiomes to address
Florida member, editor for journals, or as a coun- research relating to interactions of micro-
cilor-at-large. I have always enjoyed at- bial communities and plants in ecosystems.
Leadership tending annual and regional meetings to PhytoFrontiers, another new open access
Experience discuss research ideas and various issues journal, is focused on subjects that do not
Jeffrey B. Jones related to the discipline. This past year has fit the mold of research published in other
has been an active been difficult in terms of our personal lives journals. I do believe that APS can continue
member of The and the ability to conduct our daily duties to adapt in order to maintain its visibility.
American Phyto- in our profession, as well as a challenge for One way is to make some of these journals
pathological Society since 1980. He has our involvement with APS. APS members more accessible to the international com-
served on a number of committees, includ- and staff did an incredible job of quickly munity, undergraduate students, and high-
ing the Bacteriology Committee (1992– developing a virtual annual meeting. Again school students who may develop an inter-
1994 and 1983–1985 [chair, 1994; vice- in 2021 the annual meeting will be virtual, est in plant pathology through exposure to
chair, 1993]), Tropical Plant Pathology and we will have the opportunity to build recent publications. Making MPMI open
Committee (chair, 1996), and the Germ- on our experience. We found that virtual access is a step in the right direction. Open
plasm and Culture Collections Committee. meetings can be held and can be quite ef- access to the other established journals will
He has served as a senior editor for Plant fective. I can foresee future meetings being likely improve the journal rankings. ■
Disease (1993–1996), APS PRESS (2000– more hybrid in nature. This could increase
2003), and Phytopathology (2006–2009), participation by our international colleagues
and he has published extensively in all three and students who may be unable to attend
Calendar
APS journals. He has edited or co-edited meetings in person. Although APS has mem-
two books (Compendium of Tomato Diseases bers from other countries, we should be pro-
and the 3rd edition of the Laboratory Guide active and strive to make APS more inclusive APS-SPONSORED EVENTS
for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacte- in committee meetings, presentations, and
ria) published by APS PRESS and is in the virtual poster sessions so that our organi- JUNE 2021
process of updating the Laboratory Manual zation has more of an international per-
for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria. spective. We should strive to have diverse APS Pacific Division Meeting
He also served as chair of the APS Task Force representation (i.e., women, minorities, APS North Central Division Meeting
for Culture Collections (2005–2010) and as graduate students, and individuals from
AUGUST 2021
a councilor-at-large (2011–2014). public institutions, government agencies,
and private companies). APS continues to Plant Health 2021 Online
Statement of Vision for APS develop diverse mechanisms for delivering
I consider APS to be the premier scien- information. Coupled with its existing jour- SEPTEMBER 2021
tific society in plant pathology. APS has nals (i.e., Plant Disease, Phytopathology, Plant APS Caribbean Division Meeting
been an important part of my professional Health Progress, and Molecular Plant-Microbe
Phytopathology News May 2021 5
Candidates for APS Office
Candidate for Councilor-at-Large / Leonardo de la Fuente
Professor, Auburn senator, and member of multiple commit- many countries who can help maintain
University tees focused on improving our department those connections. During my participation
and college, such as Global Programs, Exec- in meetings of phytopathological societies
Leadership utive Committee, Graduate Student Re- abroad, I have been impressed by the num-
Experience cruitment, and others. All of these service ber of young people attending, showing the
As a member of activities take a considerable amount of power of phytopathology to inspire younger
APS since 2002, I time, but they are critical and worthwhile generations. Strengthening our relationships
have tried to help endeavors to ensure that our societies and with international societies will help expand
the society in any institutions function at the highest possible the visibility of APS and phytopathologists
way possible. From level and continue to provide important as fundamental players in society. Regarding
my first meeting in 2003 I realized that the services to the community as is part of their the APS Annual Meeting, I wish to see a
important work of committee members mission. better representation of the cutting-edge re-
is fundamental to running this society. I search that is shaping the future of plant pa-
started by participating in the Graduate Stu- Statement of Vision for APS thology and is being developed by members
dent Committee meetings and volunteering Agriculture is essential to sustaining hu- of our society. Our annual meeting must
at the APS Foundation booth. As the years mankind. APS is a critical component for become the event of the year, where the most
went by, I became more involved in the so- the success of agriculture and should have impactful discoveries in plant pathology are
ciety—first as chair of the Bacteriology Com- recognition and support comparable to our showcased. In addition, APS should develop
mittee and later as an associate/senior editor counterpart medical and microbiological a more structured program for professional
of Phytopathology and APS PRESS. Recently, societies that focus on human health. Edu- development of early-career professionals,
I joined the APS Annual Meeting Board due cating general audiences is paramount to de- including activities during our annual meet-
to my conviction that these meetings are veloping more visibility and a high regard in ing and online courses. It is also important
critical for the success of the society. In ad- the opinion of the general public. APS lead- to engage scientists across the career spec-
dition to APS I contribute to other profes- ers have been making great efforts toward trum by offering leadership opportunities
sional institutions, such as serving multiple achieving these goals, and I hope I can con- at early career stages, harnessing the energy
times as a proposal review panel member for tribute to these efforts myself. Increased par- of young professionals through meaning-
NIFA, BARD, CDFA, and others. In addi- ticipation by phytopathologists in the news ful projects, and sharing the expertise of
tion to being an ad hoc reviewer for proposals and social media will help raise the profile of mid- to late-stage career scientists. One of
from the United States and other countries, our society and our profession. Stories that the things that makes me a proud member
I have also reviewed more than 200 manu- are important for phytopathologists should of APS is the sincere interest of its members
scripts in the last 10 years. In my native be pushed to national news outlets to dem- in collaborating and helping each other. We
Uruguay, I was a member of the leadership onstrate the impact of plant diseases to the all really care for this society, and we need
of the Sociedad Uruguaya de Microbiologia. public. Moreover, improved coordination to keep promoting APS so it will gain the
At my home institution of Auburn Univer- with other international phytopathological recognition it deserves. ■
sity, my service record includes graduate pro- societies would be mutually beneficial. Our
gram officer for plant pathology, department APS membership has representatives from
Candidates for APS Office
Candidate for Councilor-at-Large / Sydney Everhart
Associate Profes- chairing subject matter committees, and, Division meeting (2017), APS/ICPP meet-
sor, University of currently, serving on the APS Annual Meet- ing (2018), Plant Health 2019, and as an
Nebraska-Lincoln ing Board (AMB). Below are two examples APS webinar (2020). Teaching this as a
of this service and how they have impacted webinar was a huge success, with around
Leadership my views on the importance of APS and its 150 people registered each day, and al-
Experience volunteers. though challenging, this material will
One of the things One example of my professional service now be able to be accessed “on demand”
I enjoy most about is creating and teaching workshops at APS. in the future. The most fulfilling part of
APS is that the con- My first experience was teaching a workshop this experience was how easy it was to take
tent is driven by the in R for population genetics, and a persis- a new idea and transform it into content
members, so the more you are involved, the tent observation was that many students in that became part of an APS meeting. Unlike
more you gain in return. This is something the workshop lacked basic skills in R, making some organizations that covet these oppor-
I’ve learned over my past 12 years of active it difficult for them to participate. To address tunities for insiders, APS strives for trans-
membership in APS, which includes experi- this, I led development of the Intro to R for
ence organizing Special Sessions, teaching Plant Pathologists Workshop, which has
R workshops, hosting an APS webinar, since been taught at the APS North Central Candidates, continued on page 7
Phytopathology News May 2021 6
Candidates, continued from page 6 members as volunteers, so they too can shape Plan with the interests of our members.
the future of our society and make an im- This, in turn, will allow me to identify
parency and to make these opportunities pact in APS. individuals who would be ideal volunteers
open to all members. to pursue elements within these initiatives.
The most significant leadership con- Statement of Vision for APS In the role of APS councilor-at-large, I will
tribution I have made in APS is serving as Just as meeting the demand to feed our provide guidance and resources to these in-
a member of AMB. I joined the AMB in future world population depends on plant dividuals to support their efforts. Moreover,
2016, and on an annual basis, I am respon- pathologists, the future of APS depends because the success of APS in achieving ini-
sible for critical review of >60 abstracts and on its members. My vision for this leader- tiatives within the strategic plan is depen-
~10 Special Sessions. Through the AMB, ship role as APS councilor-at-large is to dent on the volunteer efforts of members,
I have also been involved in the develop- serve APS members by acting as an active I also will actively look for opportunities to
ment of new activities featured at our an- liaison to the Executive Committee. In this formally recognize our members for their
nual meetings, such as the One-to-One: role, I will formally and informally solicit, contributions, whether that is in the form
Conversations with an Expert activity that articulate, and communicate the interests of articles written for Phytopathology News,
I codeveloped with Dr. J. P. Dundore-Arias of our members. This will be done using nominations for awards, or recommenda-
and that was a featured at the APS Annual multiple communication tools and in a way tions for leadership roles. Ultimately, my
Meetings from 2017 through 2020. Parti- that strives to receive feedback from diverse vision is that as a member-driven organi-
cipation in the AMB provided me with a groups within our society, such as those at zation, all of the members in our society
unique perspective to both appreciate the different career stages, from different em- need to be able to see how their own re-
breadth of activities organized and led by ployment sectors, serving different stake- search, views, and interests are represented
our volunteers and understand the magni- holder groups, and with different personal by APS, and the success of our APS mem-
tude of the impact that activity has for our or political affiliations. Obtaining input from bers will directly translate into the success
scientific society. It would be my vision in diverse groups will allow alignment of initia- of our society as a whole. ■
this role to foster the participation of our tives within the APS 2020–2021 Strategic
APS Foundation Public Policy Board
Lafayette Frederick NEW! Take Action Tool
Diversity in Mentoring Make your voice heard using the new PPB
Take Action Tool! Simply enter your street address
Awards Announced and zip code to get direct access to your represen-
tatives at the touch of a button.
The APS Foundation is pleased to an- Let’s make our voices heard! ■
nounce that two awards have been given in
the inaugural Lafayette Frederick Diversity
in Mentoring Award program. Corri Ham-
ilton, a Ph.D. candidate at the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin–Madison, will mentor
students from the Vincent High School of
Agricultural Sciences in a project to screen
plant-pathogenic bacteria for antimicrobial Graduate Students:
compounds. Dr. Tiffany Lowe-Power,
Corri Hamilton
an assistant professor at the University of Apply to be Featured in
California–Davis, will mentor students
from Fort Valley State University and from
Tuskegee University in a remote-learning
Phytopathology News!
bioinformatics project to identify effectors For each issue of Phytopathology News, the APS Graduate Student
in Ralstonia solanacearum. Additionally, both Committee chooses a graduate student to be featured in a spotlight
awardees will provide career guidance and article. Applicants are chosen based on their involvement in APS as
networking opportunities to their mentees. student members and their expected graduation dates. The com-
mittee strives to integrate students into society affairs and activities
Please support Lafay- and recommends ways to address student concerns. Submit your
ette Frederick awardees application for consideration on the submission webpage. ■
by making a donation to
Tiffany Lowe-Power the Lafayette Frederick
Mentoring Award fund
at apsnet.org/GIVE. ■
Phytopathology News May 2021 7Seismic Shifts in Disease Risk
August 2–6, 2021
Registration is Now Open!
Join fellow plant pathologists August 2– 6 for Plant Health 2021 Online as we explore
major changes in bacterial, viral, nematode, and fungal pathosystems to better anticipate
and deflect future shifts in plant diseases.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from industry leaders, share your research, and
connect with your colleagues from all over the world.
Register today at planthealth2021.orgOffice of Public Relations and Outreach
OPRO Meets Melissa Molho
Melissa Molho is a recent Ph.D. gradu- Science outreach activity: E-poster pre- • www.apsnet.org/planthealthisyour
ate student from the Department of Plant sentation at ComSciCon-Atlanta 2021. health/themes/Pages/default.aspx
Pathology at the University of Kentucky. Type of event and intended audience: Information regarding this event: Com-
The poster was presented within a work- SciCon is an annual Science Communica-
shop for graduate students who were inter- tion Workshop that is organized by graduate
ested in learning about how to effectively students in the southeastern United States
communicate science. and Puerto Rico..
Description of the activity: Students How will you modify or improve future
shared science communication activities or offerings? There was limited time to explain
community engagement outreach activities the poster, and the virtual setting made it
with other participants in the workshop. difficult to gather feedback from the atten-
During the workshop, I wrote a 150-word dants. In the future, I hope there will be
pitch describing the activities completed by more opportunities for interaction when
APS during the International Year of Plant in-person meetings resume.
Health 2020 (IYPH 2020) and why these In total, how many participants were
activities were relevant to the workshop in attendance? 50 graduate students.
audience. My pitch was selected, so I was
asked to design a poster about IYPH 2020. To have your science outreach activity
Materials/resources used to create or event featured in the “OPRO meets…”
e-poster: article series, please complete this survey. ■
• www.apsnet.org/planthealthisyour
health/Pages/default.aspx
Poster presented at ComSciCon-Atlanta 2021 to • www.apsnet.org/planthealthisyour
promote APS resources. health/Resources/Pages/default.aspx
Invasive Plant Pest Disease and Awareness Month and
the International Year of Plant Health Celebrated
The U.S. Department of Agriculture “It is fitting that the first time the USDA
(USDA) celebrated Invasive Plant Pest and building is illuminated in this way it is to
Disease Awareness Month (IPPDAM) and bring awareness to the life-giving role plants
the UN International Year of Plant Health play and the critical need to protect them.
(IYPH) by lighting in green the façade of Plants produce the oxygen we breathe and
its main headquarters, the Jamie L. Whitten give us 80 percent of the food we eat, so
building in Washington, DC, April 18–21. they are critical to our survival, environmen-
The event was part of a global celebration tal health, and economic well-being,” said
of the IYPH with its partners in the North Dr. Osama El-Lissy, deputy administrator,
American Plant Protection Organization Plant Protection and Quarantine Program, IYPH illumination events were held by the
and the UN International Plant Protection USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspec- Canadian Museum of Nature and in Mexico
Convention. tion Service (APHIS). “According to the at government buildings in Mexico City and
United Nations, invasive pests destroy up several monuments.
to 40 percent of the world’s food crops and APHIS urges members of the public to
cause $220 billion in trade losses each year.” take simple, specific actions to leave inva-
In celebration of the IYPH, APHIS also sive, hungry pests behind and protect vital
partnered with the North American Plant plant resources in the United States. Visit
Protection Organization and the Niagara the Hungry Pests website to learn about
Falls Illumination Board to hold special il- invasive plant pests and diseases that are
lumination ceremonies on April 19 and 20. affecting or could affect your region and
The falls glowed with green light to empha- how to report them. Look for and report
size the need to protect plant health across unusual signs of pests or diseases in trees
North America and around the world. Other and plants. ■
Phytopathology News May 2021 9APS Publications Board Announces Best Student Papers
Published in APS Journals in 2020
A Genome-Wide Association Study of Resistance to Puccinia
striiformis f. sp. hordei and P. graminis f. sp. tritici in Barley and
Development of Resistant Germplasm
Javier Hernandez et al.
Contact Reflectance Spectroscopy for Rapid, Accurate, and Nonde-
structive Phytophthora infestans Clonal Lineage Discrimination
Twenty-three graduate students are being honored for their re- Kaitlin Gold et al.
search papers published in APS journals. “The Publications Board
The Globodera pallida Effector GpPDI1 Is a Functional Thiore-
unanimously decided to institute awards recognizing exceptional
doxin and Triggers Defense-Related Cell Death Independent of Its
research papers by graduate students in each of the APS journals
Enzymatic Activity
beginning in 2020,” said Krishna Subbarao, chair of the Publica-
Rachel Gross et al.
tions Board. “Our intent is to honor graduate students who have
done a remarkable job on their papers, as a way of supporting and
encouraging excellence in the early-career scientists in our field.
Plant Disease
Considering the importance of publications, the Board wishes to Best Student Paper
recognize outstanding research achievements imbued with novelty, Trichoderma Isolates Inhibit Fusarium virguliforme Growth, Reduce
scholarship, and lucid writing during graduate studies.” Root Rot, and Induce Defense-Related Genes on Soybean Seedlings
“The editor-in-chief of each journal appointed a committee of Mirian Pimentel et al.
editors to select the winners from the graduate student papers pub- Originally from Brazil, Mirian Filgueira
lished in 2020. They did a wonderful job, and this selection process Pimentel grew up on a small vegetable farm
will continue for this year’s student papers. The top prize winners and studied agricultural engineering at the
received a cash award and a certificate, and other top student papers Federal University of Viçosa. As an under-
received a certificate of recognition.” graduate student, she received a study
All papers are freely available through the end of May. abroad scholarship that enabled her to
study at Southern Illinois University
Phytopathology (SIU) where she volunteered to work
Best Student Paper with Dr. Ahmad Fakhoury after taking
his plant–microbe interaction course. After
Rhodopseudomonas palustris Quorum Sensing Molecule pC-HSL
earning her bachelor’s degree, she returned to Dr. Fakhoury’s lab for
Induces Systemic Resistance to TMV Infection via Upregulation
her Ph.D. research, which explored the biological control of the soy-
of NbSIPK/NbWIPK Expressions in Nicotiana benthamiana
bean pathogens Fusarium virguliforme and Pythium spp. with ben-
Xiaohua Du et al.
eficial fungi, including Trichoderma spp. and Clonostachys rosea. She
Xiaohua Du is currently a Ph.D. student successfully defended her dissertation at the end of March and will
pursuing a degree in plant pathology at the soon start a postdoc position at SIU, in which role she will continue
Hunan Academy of Agricultural Science in to work with biological control against soilborne pathogens and
China, where she focuses on the photosyn- exploring the effects of fungal endophytes on soybean health and
thetic bacteria (PSB) applications in agri- protection against pathogens. (Photo: © Board of Trustees, Southern
culture as a bio-control agent. In her recent Illinois University)
work, she took an interest in the positive
impacts of the bacterial quorum-sensing Honorable Mentions
(QS) molecule pC-HSL on the plant de-
fense. pC-HSL is produced by a PSB strain, Occurrence and High-Throughput Sequencing of Viruses in
Rhodopseudomonas palustris GJ-22, and primes plants with systemic Ohio Wheat
resistance against viruses. With her team, she investigated the sig- Brian Hodge et al.
naling pathways involved in the pC-HSL-mediated plant defense The Efficacy of Ethaboxam as a Soybean Seed Treatment Toward
response. Her next work will focus on the perception mechanism Phytophthora, Phytopythium, and Pythium in Ohio
of plants for pC-HSL in hopes of finding the bona fide proteins Kelsey Scott et al.
in plants directly interacting with this molecule. Du also holds a
master’s degree in pratacultural science from Hunan Agricultural Impact of UV-C Radiation Applied during Plant Growth on Pre-
University and spent three years working within the agriculture and Postharvest Disease Sensitivity and Fruit Quality of Strawberry
field for a biotechnology company. Marine Forges et al.
Storage Root Yield of Sweetpotato as Influenced by Sweetpotato leaf
Honorable Mentions curl virus and Its Interaction with Sweetpotato feathery mottle virus
Genome-Wide Association Study in New York Phytophthora capsici and Sweetpotato chlorotic stunt virus in Kenya
Isolates Reveals Loci Involved in Mating Type and Mefenoxam Bramwel Wanjala et al.
Sensitivity
Gregory Vogel et al. Student Papers, continued on page 11
Phytopathology News May 2021 10Student Papers, continued from page 10 periments are carried out under the supervi-
sion of Dr. Tyler Wist and Prof. J. Gray.
Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions Her current research focuses on developing
innovative methods to forecast and rapidly
Best Student Paper detect the presence of aster yellows (AY) in
Optimizing the PBS1 Decoy System to Confer Resistance to Poty- canola crops grown in western Canada. Her
virus Infection in Arabidopsis and Soybean results have important implications for the
Sarah Pottinger et al. forecast of AY incidence and frequency and
A graduate of the University of Leeds, for the development of AY disease manage-
Sarah Pottinger’s thesis looked at the local- ment tools. In the future, she hopes to be
ization of PHT1 family phosphate trans- engaged in challenging research programs of both fundamental and
porters in Seratia italica. During this time, applied importance that help tackle global problems, such as achiev-
she also assayed a set of sucrose transporter ing sustainable food security.
mutants for abnormalities in circadian phe-
notype with Dr. Anthony Hall at the Uni- Honorable Mentions
versity of Liverpool and investigated the Rapid Detection of Fungicide Resistance Phenotypes among Popu-
possible interaction of a newly discovered lations of Nothopassalora personata in South Carolina Peanut Fields
protein with Arabidopsis ELONGATION Misbakhul Munir et al.
FACTOR EF-TU RECEPTOR with Prof. Cyril Zipfel at the
Sainsbury Laboratory. She then completed an internship at the Cross Infectivity of Powdery Mildew Isolates Originating from Hemp
Molecular Ecology Department of the Max Planck Institute for (Cannabis sativa) and Japanese Hop (Humulus japonicus) in New York
Chemical Ecology, researching how wild tobacco species defend William Weldon et al.
themselves against insect herbivory. Pottinger is currently pursu- Determining the Profitability of Reniform Nematode Control Prac-
ing a Ph.D. degree at the Roger Innes lab at Indiana University in tices in the Mississippi Cotton Production System
Bloomington, IN, where her research focuses on investigating the Bradley Wilson et al.
Arabidopsis RPS5/PBS1 decoy system to optimize plant immune
responses. She is exploring the use of proximity-based labeling to
identify possible signaling partners for RPS5, as well as working Phytobiomes Journal
toward elucidating a structure for PBS1 and RPS5. She hopes to Best Student Paper
graduate in 2022 and pursue postdoctoral studies in NLR signaling Topography-Driven Shape, Spread, and Retention of Leaf Surface
and specificity. Water Impacts Microbial Dispersion and Activity in the Phyllosphere
Hung Doan et al.
Honorable Mentions
Hung Doan earned a B.S. degree in bio-
Structural Requirements of the Phytoplasma Effector Protein chemistry and molecular biology and M.S.
SAP54 for Causing Homeotic Transformation of Floral Organ and Ph.D. degrees in plant pathology from
Marc Benjamin Aurin et al. the University of California, Davis. He is
Prediction and Characterization of RXLR Effectors in Pythium Species currently volunteering for the Partners of the
Gan Ai et al. Americas’ USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer
Program teaching General Plant Pathology:
Chitin Triggers Calcium-Mediated Immune Response in the Plant Identification and Detection of Plant Dis-
Model Physcomitrella patens eases in Guyana. With the current pandemic
Giulia Galotto et al. and limited job opportunities, he is also cur-
rently working in the food service industry. He wishes to pursue a
Plant Health Progress job in cooperative extension to help farmers implement more ef-
Best Student Paper ficient growing methods and solve pest management problems.
A Rapid, Simple, Laboratory and Field-Adaptable DNA Extrac-
Honorable Mentions
tion and Diagnostic Method Suitable for Insect-Transmitted Plant
Pathogen and Insect Identification Disease-Induced Microbial Shifts in Citrus Indicate Microbiome-
Karolina Pusz-Bochenska et al. Derived Responses to Huanglongbing across the Disease Severity
Spectrum
Originally from Warsaw, Poland, Karolina Pusz-Bochenska
Nichole Ginnan et al.
graduated from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences and had
opportunities to pursue additional studies in the United Kingdom, Regional Differences in the Structure of Juglans nigra Phytobiome
Hungary, and now Canada, where she is a doctoral student in the Reflect Geographical Differences in Thousand Cankers Disease
Department of Biology at the University of Saskatchewan and also Severity
affiliated with Agri-Food Canada, where most of her research ex- Aaron Onufrak et al. ■
Phytopathology News May 2021 11APS Foundation
Donors of Distinction
Meet some of the amazing people who support APS Foundation. Learn more about who they are
and why they give their time and resources to support others.
Elisha Allan-Perkins Peter Ojiambo
I was working in a marine biology I never thought much about APS until
lab, missing working with plants, when I 1998, when I was hired at the Interna-
found APS in an online search of plant tional Potato Center Regional Office in
science careers. I became a member be- Nairobi, Kenya. My supervisor, who was
fore I finished applying to graduate pro- a member of APS, explained to me how
grams. I felt at home at my first annual APS can facilitate networking with other
meeting, as I never had before at a profes- scientists across the Atlantic and promote
sional conference. APS is unique in that the exchange of research ideas to find solu-
it cultivates opportunities for students tions to manage plant diseases. In the past
to interact with plant pathologists at all 20 years, APS has significantly impacted
levels: the APS president, famous researchers, and early-career sci- my career in plant pathology, and I have gratefully realized the bene-
entists, as well as other students. APS Foundation is a large part of fits of being a member of the society. The latter has fostered my de-
this welcoming environment; it provides opportunities for students sire to give back to the society in gratitude for what APS has given
to travel to annual meetings, visit other research institutes, and con- me over the years. I support the APS Foundation in the same spirit,
tribute to outreach programs. The foundation also provides support since I see the good that has been achieved and continues to be ac-
for international and established scientists. I have greatly benefitted complished in the advancement of the plant pathology profession.
from participating in APS, through professional training, presenting
and publishing my research, networking, and finding lasting friend- Peter Ojiambo is a professor of plant pathology at North Carolina
ships. I was fortunate to serve as an ex-officio member of the APS State University. ■
Foundation and saw first-hand the enthusiasm and dedication this
board has for making APS an accessible, welcoming, and supportive
society for all researchers, giving them the same opportunities and
benefits I have received. I am happy to donate to the APS Founda-
tion each year and look forward to seeing what new initiatives they
start in the future.
Elisha Allan-Perkins is an independent researcher in plant pathol-
ogy in Brookline, NH.
People
Degrees Lederson Betancur recently completed
Chiti Agarwal recently completed the the requirement for his Ph.D. degree in plant
requirement for a Ph.D. degree in plant pathology at Washington State University
pathology at Washington State University (WSU). His dissertation was entitled “Insights
(WSU). Her dissertation was entitled “Char- into the Genetic Diversity, Population Struc-
acterizing Sources of Resistance to Preemer- ture, and Fungicide Sensitivity of the Apple
gence Damping-Off Disease Caused by Metal- Powdery Mildew Pathogen Podosphaera leuco-
axyl Resistant Pythium ultimum.” Her thesis tricha in the United States.” His thesis com-
committee was led by George Vandemark mittee was led by Achour Amiri and included
and included Hanu Pappu, Weidong Chen, Tobin Peever, Kate Evans, and Tim Murray.
Kiwamu Tanaka, and Lynne Carpenter Betancur received his B.S. degree in agronomy in 2009 and M.S.
Boggs. Agarwal received her B.S. degree in biotechnology in 2009 degree in plant pathology in 2014 from the Universidad de Caldas,
and M.S. degree in plant science from North Dakota State Univer- Colombia. He was a research assistant at the Cassava Plant Pathol-
sity in 2014. At WSU, she was a winner of the Three-Minute Thesis ogy Laboratory, conducting research activities for the Consultative
Competition of the College of Agriculture, Home and Natural Re- Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) program
source Sciences and Martin Stoner Travel Scholarship in 2018. She on roots, tubers, and bananas from 2013 to 2016. He came to WSU
will be a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Plant
Pathology at the University of Maryland. People, continued on page 13
Phytopathology News May 2021 12People, continued from page 12 Honors
Linda Thomashow, research geneticist
in the fall of 2016 with a Fulbright Scholarship (2016–2020) with the USDA-ARS, was recently elected a
awarded by the Minciencias and the Fulbright Commission in Fellow of the American Academy of Micro-
Colombia. At WSU, he received the 2018 and 2019 Hambelton biology. The academy, the honorific leader-
Scholarship awarded by Mike and Kathy Hambelton to support ship group within the American Society for
WSU tree fruit research activities; a Travel Award to attend The Microbiology, recognizes excellence, original-
American Phytopathological Society (APS) Pacific Division An- ity, service, and leadership in the microbial sci-
nual Meeting; and third place in the APS Pacific Division graduate ences. Thomashow is among the 65 Fellows
student paper competition in 2019; and a Dissertation Grant Award who were elected to the academy in 2021.
from the WSU Graduate and Professional Students Association in Thomashow has been with the USDA-ARS
2020. Betancur plans to apply for an academic training position and an adjunct professor in the Department of Plant Pathology,
before returning to Colombia. Washington State University at Pullman since 1985. She is also a
Fellow of The American Phytopathological Society and the Ameri-
Ninh Khuu recently completed the re- can Association for the Advancement of Science.
quirements for an M.S. degree in plant pathol-
ogy at Washington State University (WSU). New Position
His thesis was entitled “Titer and Distribution Sung-Hwan Kang, Ph.D., recently joined
of Hop Stunt Viroid and Hop Latent Viroid the Department of Entomology and Plant
Infecting Hops.” His thesis committee was Pathology at Auburn University, Auburn, AL,
chaired by Scott Harper and included Hanu as an assistant professor in plant virology. Dr.
Pappu and Michael Knoblauch. Khuu re- Kang is from Seoul, South Korea, where he
ceived his B.S. degree in plant science from obtained his M.S. degree in plant pathology.
the University of California, Davis in 2015. Dr. Kang came to the United States to further
He spent summers performing botanical surveys for the California study plant responses upon virus infection in
Department of Fish and Wildlife documenting rare flora that occur the molecular biology and microbiology pro-
in the southern portion of the Snow Mountain National Monument. gram at the University of Nebraska under the
He specialized in micro-shoot tip culture of clonally propagated direction of Dr. T. Jack Morris. After completing the Ph.D. pro-
perennial crops in support of California’ grape, strawberry, fruit gram, Dr. Kang moved to Gainesville, FL, for his postdoctoral
tree, and sweetpotato industries as part of the National Clean Plant training in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University
Network. He was retained as a technician until the summer of 2018, of Florida. There, he worked to develop a practical method to save
when he briefly worked with a commercial tree nursery’s R&D tis- citrus trees from citrus greening disease and citrus-infecting virus.
sue culture lab before he joined WSU. His program at Auburn University will investigate the molecular
characteristics of virus infection in plants important in the state of
Jeannie Klein-Gordon recently received Alabama and the Southeastern region.
her Ph.D. degree in plant pathology from the
University of Florida, under the guidance of Obituary
Erica Goss, Jeff Jones, and Gary Vallad. Her
Dr. Melvin Newman, retired extension
dissertation was entitled “Xanthomonas perfo-
plant pathologist, lost his battle with cancer
rans: Population Shifts Over Time in Florida
and passed away peacefully on March 27, 2021.
and Exploration of a Secret Weapon for Keep-
Those who knew Melvin will remember him
ing Its Competitors at Bay.”
as a dedicated scientist, a great educator, and a
Klein-Gordon is originally from Oregon,
real gentlemen.
where she obtained her B.S. degree with hon-
Melvin A. Newman began his career work-
ors in botany and microbiology in 2016. She became fascinated
ing with Shell Oil on a seismograph crew in
with plant pathogens during her honor’s thesis research, for which
East Texas, served as a squad leader in the Tex-
she studied Pantoea vagans C9-1, a biological control agent for fire
as National Guard, was a Student Center super-
blight of apple and pear, for 3.5 years under the guidance of Virginia
visor at Sam Houston State, where he received his B.S. degree in agri-
Stockwell and Joyce Loper.
culture and M.S. degree in agriculture education. He went on to
Klein-Gordon has been an active member of APS since 2014,
earn his Ph.D. degree in plant pathology at Texas A&M University.
when she joined as a Borlaug Army member, and has attended and
He then accepted a research associate/postdoc position at Kansas
presented at every APS Annual Meeting since 2015. During this
State University, where he worked on a NASA satellite project before
time, she has served as a member of the Office of Public Relations
joining the University of Tennessee (UT) Department of Entomology
and Outreach (OPRO) (2018–2022), for which she led the Gap
and Plant Pathology in August 1973. He was promoted to associate
Analysis project, and currently oversees the “OPRO Meets…” se-
professor and then to professor. He is now a professor emeritus.
ries of Phytopathology News articles; is serving as vice-chair of the Bac-
Dr. Newman was named Man of the Year in Tennessee Agricul-
teriology Committee, co-initiating and -leading “Pathways to and
ture, and he was a charter member and president of the Tennessee
from Bacteriology” with Jonathan Jacobs; has served as chair of
Agricultural Chemicals Association (later Tennessee Agricultural
the Art in Phytopathology subcommittee (2016–2019); organized
Production Association), where he received the Outstanding In-
and comoderated “Plant Health Kickoff: Faces of APS” at the 2020
dividual Award. He also received the Corn and Soybean Research
APS Annual Meeting; is actively serving on the Leadership Institute
Award and the International Integrated Pest Management Award
Committee; and serves as an ad hoc reviewer for Plant Disease.
Klein-Gordon will join Tim Miles’ lab at Michigan State Uni-
versity as a research associate in May 2021. People, continued on page 14
Phytopathology News May 2021 13You can also read
