May 2011 Phytopathology News

www.apsnet.org

News

May 2011 • Volume 45 • Number 5

2011 APS Election for Vice President and Councilor-at-Large

George S. Abawi

Robert L. Wick

Darin Eastburn

Jeffrey B. Jones

Eric C. Tedford

This month, APS members have the opportunity to vote in the 2011 APS election. Voting will take place May 2 through May 31, 2011.

The APS Nominations Committee is pleased to announce that George S. Abawi, Cornell University, and Robert L. Wick, University of Massachusetts, are running for vice president of APS. Candidates for councilor-at-large are Darin Eastburn, University of Illinois, Jeffrey B. Jones, University of Florida, and Eric C. Tedford, Syngenta Crop Protection. Read the profiles of these new candidates for office beginning on page 76 of this issue.

APS members were sent a broadcast e-mail on May 2, 2011, with instructions for voting (members without an e-mail address were sent letters). Ballots must be submitted by May 31, 2011. Remember, all votes are confidential. Please contact Cindy Scheller (cscheller@scisoc.org) if you did not receive an e-mail. Results of the 2011 election will be announced in the July issue of Phytopathology News and on APSnet. Details about the new Nominations Committee and its process this year are provided in the article below by Chair Jim MacDonald.

Every vote counts—cast your ballot by May 31, 2011. n

APS Nominations Committee Introduces Council Candidates Jim MacDonald, Nominations Committee Chair, jdmacdonald@ucdavis.edu Last fall, it was announced that under new governance rules approved by APS members in 2010, the process of council elections had been moved to a newly created Nominations Committee. That committee has now completed its first cycle of receiving nominations and applications for vice president (VP) and councilor-at-large (CAL) and putting together a slate of candidates for election.

The process this year was quite different from previous years, when groups of people would muster as many nominations as possible for their favored candidate. The councilors used the nomination numbers as a form of priority ranking to subsequently approach nominees and ask them to stand for election.

Thanks for Your Participation The results for the 2011 Membership Survey, conducted by Readex Research, are in! Thank you to the nearly 1,500 members who participated, we had a 36% response rate and we value your feedback. Data collected from this year’s survey will provide APS with valuable information regarding your membership experience, gauging your satisfaction and involvement in several areas from our publications to APSnet to the annual meeting and much more. Results from the 2011 Membership Survey were a top item for discussion when APS Council met for their meeting at APS Headquarters in St. Paul, MN, in April. Stay tuned for a summary of the results to be published in an upcoming issue of Phytopathology News. n

APS Foundation Board Implementing New Strategies The APS Foundation Board met for a midyear strategic planning meeting to discuss new initiatives as well as plans for the 2011 APSIPPC Joint Meeting in Hawaii. Over the next several years, the foundation will be focusing on four major initiatives: undergraduate research experience, graduate fellowships and training, early career professional development, and public policy. In addition, several new graduate student travel awards have been established. Look for a new foundation booth in Hawaii, a new brochure and promotional materials, and another fantastic raffle.

Additional details will be forthcoming. n

APS Nominations Committee continued on page 67

In this Issue Editor’s Corner .......................................... 66 Public Policy Update ................................. 70 Division News ........................................... 72 Meeting ..................................................... 74

OIP News & Views ................................... 75 Candidates for APS Office ......................... 76 Outreach ................................................... 81 People ....................................................... 82

Classified ................................................... 86 APS Journal Articles .................................. 87 Calendar of Events .................................... 88

www.apsnet.org

May 2011 • Volume 45 • Number 5

News

Editor-in-Chief: Doug Jardine Managing Editor: Michelle Bjerkness Editor: Amanda Aranowski Design: Agnes Walker Advertising Sales: Karen Deuschle

Editor’s Corner If You Don’t Vote, Then You Can’t Complain Doug Jardine, Kansas State University, PhytoNewsEditor@scisoc.org This month, Phytopathology News features the biographies of APS members who have graciously accepted the nomination to run for the offices of vice president and councilor-at-large. You may recall that with the ratification of the APS governance constitutional amendment, a new Nominations Committee, currently chaired by past APS President Jim MacDonald, was created. The charge to the committee was to identify and foster new leaders through the implementation of a new nomination process that would ultimately increase membership involvement in the society. With this issue, we see the fruits of their first labor.

Phytopathology News (ISSN 0278-0267) is published eleven times per year by The American Phytopathological Society (APS) at 3340 Pilot Knob Road, 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 all APS members. Subscription price to nonmembers is $69 U.S./$81 Elsewhere. Periodicals paid at St. Paul, MN. CPC Intl Pub Mail #0969249. Postmaster: Send address changes to Phytopathology News, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121 U.S.A. Submission Guidelines Address all editorial correspondence to: Doug Jardine, Department of Plant Pathology, 4024 Throckmorton Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506-5502 U.S.A. Phone: +1.785.532.1386; Fax: +1.785.532.5692; E-mail: PhytoNewsEditor@scisoc.org.

In order to ensure timely publication of your news items and announcements, please send in material six weeks prior to the date of publication. Material should be no more than six months old when submitted. Submission of materials as electronic files, via e-mail, will speed processing. For information on submitting electronic images contact Agnes Walker at awalker@scisoc.org. Deadline for submitting items for the July 2011 issue is May 15, 2011.

APS Leadership Council President: John L. Sherwood President-Elect: Carol A. Ishimaru Vice President: Michael J. Boehm Immediate Past President: Barbara J. Christ Internal Communications Officer: Danise T. Beadle Internal Communications Officer-Elect: David M. Gadoury Treasurer: Randall C. Rowe Senior Councilor-at-Large: Carolee T. Bull Intermediate Councilor-at-Large: Anne E. Dorrance Junior Councilor-at-Large: Walter F. Mahaffee Divisional Councilor: David G. Schmale III Publications Councilor: Anthony P. Keinath Executive Vice President: Steven C. Nelson Editors-in-Chief APS PRESS: Margery L. Daughtrey MPMI: Gary Stacey Phytopathology: Niklaus J. GrÜnwald Phytopathology News: Doug J. Jardine Plant Disease: R. Mike Davis Plant Disease Management Reports: Frank P. Wong Plant Health Progress: Ned A. Tisserat The Plant Health Instructor: Anton B. Baudoin Board and Office Chairs and Directors APS Foundation Chair: Ray D. Martyn Divisional Forum Chair: George W. Sundin PPB Chair: Jan E. Leach Publications Board Chair: Anthony P. Keinath OEC Director: Darin M. Eastburn OIP Director: Sally A. Miller OIR Director: Brian D. Olson OPRO Director: Monica L. Elliott AMB Director: Scott T. Adkins AXMB Director: Gary C. Bergstrom Division Officers Caribbean Councilor/Divisional Forum Rep.: Maria Mercedes Roca President: Ronald D. French-Monar Vice President: Judith K. Brown Secretary-Treasurer: TBA North Central Councilor/Divisional Forum Rep.: George W. Sundin President: Deanna L. Funnell-Harris Vice President: TBA Secretary-Treasurer: Loren J. Giesler Northeastern Councilor/Divisional Forum Rep.: Wade H. Elmer President: Russell J. Tweddell Vice President: Beth K. Gugino Secretary-Treasurer: Christian A. Wyenandt Pacific Councilor/Divisional Forum Rep.: Jim E. Adaskaveg President: Jay W. Pscheidt President-Elect: Debra A. Inglis Secretary-Treasurer: Juliet M. Marshall Potomac Councilor/Divisional Forum Rep.: Kathryne Everts President: Boris A. Vinatzer Vice President: Yilmaz Balci Secretary-Treasurer: Bingyu Zhao Southern Councilor/Divisional Forum Rep.: Timothy B. Brenneman President: David Langston President-Elect: Raymond W. Schneider Vice President: Jason Woodward Secretary-Treasurer: Donald M. Ferrin

66 Phytopathology News

One of the benefits of membership in APS is your right to vote for those persons you consider best capable of leading our society. Understanding that we are a large society, and that it is impossible for all members to know each other, each candidate has prepared a biography that includes among other things a brief description of professional achievements, service to APS, and most importantly, a statement of their vision for APS. I encourage all of you to take an appropriate amount of time to read the biographies, study the vision statements and compare them to your own vision for APS, and then vote for the candidate that you believe can best lead us toward the achievement of the society’s goals as outlined in the current strategic plan (www.apsnet.org/about/governance/Documents/APS_CurrentStratPlan. pdf).

Doug Jardine

U.S. electoral statistics reveal that in the past 50 years, the highest voter turnout rate for a national election was 63.1% in 1960. The turnout rate gradually declined and reached an all-time low of 49.1% in 1996; that’s less than half of all eligible voters! While there has been a gradual increase in voter turnout in the past three national elections, it hasn’t reached 60% since 1968. Off-year election turnouts are even more abysmal, averaging 40%. While those numbers indicate a significant amount of apathy in the electorate, consider that the average voter turnout by APS members is only 25%! Many members will claim that they are only interested in receiving the journals and are not interested in society governance and thus do not vote. Consider, however, that those members elected each year will eventually be responsible for the selection of the editors-in-chief of the journals, which will in turn impact the long-term quality of the journals through the editorial boards that they select. They will also be ultimately responsible for the quality of future annual meetings and all of the other benefits of membership. Voting in the current election should be taken as a serious responsibility by all members, and I encourage you to do so. Sometimes, happenings within the society don’t always meet with member approval and complaints often ensue. Keep in mind, however, that if you don’t vote, then you can’t complain! n

2010 Art in Phytopathology Submission: Ring Nematodes Tubing and Slinky Venkatesan Parkunan, Citrus Research and Education Center, Florida I actually wanted to make a nematode out of a nematode; it suddenly struck me that ring nematode would be a good choice.

I put two ring nematodes in an opposite direction and slightly shrunk it to give it a nice oval shape, then added several copies on top of each other to create a tubing effect. Once I got the tubing, I came up with the idea of a slinky as I was visualizing some fun object to create with the tubing. Voila… n

APS Nominations Committee continued from page 65

The new Nominations Committee was charged with developing a process meant to keep the leadership doors open wide to all interested and qualified members. As a result, this year we sought to discourage “nomination campaigns” by telling people that only one nomination was needed to get the committee’s attention. This ensured a level playing field where all nominees were considered equally. A total of 41 individuals were nominated for VP and 42 for CAL. After the close of nominations, each and every nominee was contacted to ascertain their interest in submitting an application, answer any questions, and encourage their engagement.

Our committee also worked with APS Headquarters to develop a website that contained position descriptions and selection criteria for the positions and an online application form. After working with nominees, the committee finally received six applications for VP and 13 for CAL. The committee members evaluated each application and then held an extended conference call to discuss each of them. It was a very strong field of applicants and the decisions were difficult, but the committee finally came to consensus around the candidates now presented to the membership. Also as you can see, we have taken the unusual step of putting three candidates on the CAL ballot. Quite honestly, it was very hard for the committee to distinguish between these candidates in terms of their past accomplishments within APS and their potential as leaders of our society. According to the APS constitution, the winner will be determined by a plurality vote.

After the slate of candidates was determined, committee members personally contacted those who applied but were not advanced to the ballot. Many of them were grateful that they had “dodged the bullet.” However, in our conversations with these individuals, and the many others nominated for office, we discovered many people who already are or are very interested in serving APS in meaningful capacities. Some asked to be considered for specific committees or boards within APS, and we will pass that information on to APS Council for their further consideration.

Our first year through this process also exposed some flaws in our new processes that need to be ironed out before next year, and our committee will be taking this up over the next few months. I’ll close by saying that through this whole effort, our committee members met a large number of dedicated APS members who willingly give their time to the society. This was a very gratifying part of the experience for our committee and bodes well for the future of our society.

APS Nominations Committee James D. MacDonald, chair, University of California; Carolee T. Bull, USDA ARS; Amy O. Charkowski, University of Wisconsin; John C. Rupe, University of Arkansas; David H. Gent, USDA ARS National Forage Seed Production Research Center; Rubella S. Goswami, North Dakota State University; Gary P. Munkvold, Iowa State University; Brian D. Olson, Dow AgroSciences LLC; and Thomas K. Mitchell, Ohio State University. n

Share APS by May 31 to Win! University Recruitment Challenge It is the last chance to win some money for your university to travel to the 2011 APS-IPPC Joint Meeting in Honolulu, HI, U.S.A.! This year, every member counts, and you have one month left to put your university in the running for the University Recruitment Challenge. Please continue to recruit new APS members, including graduate and undergraduate students, post-docs, and professional members.

Since departments vary in size at each university, the contest will compare universities on the percentage of new members they gain. To make it all worth it, the second-place university will receive an award of $250 for travel to the joint meeting, and the overall winner will receive an award of $500 for travel to help your university attend the joint meeting.

If you need more brochures or applications, you can request them at apsinfo@scisoc.org. The challenge is almost over. Share APS and win! n

COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT

Epidemiology Committee Peter Sande Ojiambo, Epidemiology Committee Chair, pojiamb@ncsu.edu The mission of the Epidemiology Committee is to foster collaboration within The American Phytopathological Society (APS) on issues regarding all aspects of plant disease epidemiology (e.g., ecological and quantitative epidemiology), serving as a bridge connecting applied and basic phytopathology, and to coordinate the planning and organization of special sessions for APS Annual Meetings. Committee members have a wide range of interests ranging from application of mathematics and statistics in plant pathology to population biology. The I. E. Melhus Graduate Student Symposium, which is embraced by other APS committees, is the brainchild of the committee and intended to showcase outstanding graduate students in plant pathology. With financial support from the APS Foundation, the committee will sponsor the 2011 I. E. Melhus Graduate Student Symposium during the APS-IPPC Joint Meeting in Hawaii. The 2011 symposium is entitled Today’s Students Making a Difference in the Field of Plant Disease Epidemiology and Disease Management. The Epidemiology Committee also works closely with other APS committees particularly the Crop Loss and Risk Evaluation (CARE) Committee in sponsoring special sessions and workshops during the APS Annual Meetings.

The committee continues to sponsor popular workshops during APS meetings to educate and update APS members on the use of statistical methods in plant pathology. Future planned workshops include Multivariate Analysis, Generalized Linear Mixed Models, Linear Mixed Models, and NonParametric Analysis. Based on feedback from the APS Committee on Committees, the Epidemiology Committee is currently exploring the possibilities of developing these workshops into webinars or as online mini-courses for use as continuing education or classroom modules. The Epidemiology Committee is also currently considering the benefits and shortcomings of combining with another APS committee (e.g., CARE) to decide whether such a merger would be in the best interest of the APS membership.

Chairs and vice chairs for the Epidemiology and CARE Committees met in January to set the stage for formal discussions on merger possibilities during the 2011 APS-IPPC Joint Meeting in Hawaii. n

Phytopathology News 67

A Special Invitation from the President: Join APS in Beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii

2011 APS-IPPC Joint Meeting

As the 2011 president of The American Phytopathological Society (APS), it is my privilege to invite you to the joint meeting of APS and the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences (IAPPS) for the 2011 APS-International Plant Protection Congress (IPPC) Joint Meeting, August 6–10, 2011, in Honolulu, HI.

August 6-10 • Honolulu, HI

Just Announced!

2011 Plenary Session Speakers Roger Beachy

Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, U.S.A.

John Sherwood

APS members have a long tradition of sharing many significant breakthroughs at the annual meeting, and this year should be no exception.

The 2011 call for papers was an incredible success, with more than 1,200 papers submitted from the two societies. The meeting will host more than 1,000 technical posters and 165 technical presentations. This is the best call for papers response for the annual meeting in many years, and I’m really looking forward to a terrific technical program.

The 2011 Plenary Session will reflect the breadth and depth of APS and IAPPS as two leading scientific societies that focus on plant health. The session will feature speakers who have an international perspective on challenges and changes in plant health and the global issues facing agriculture and feeding a growing population. The speakers will examine issues in research, outreach, education, and funding that are impacting our science and efforts to address societal needs.

The 2011 Plenary Session speakers include:

Richard Tapia

Director, Center for Excellence and Equity in Education, Rice University, U.S.A.

• Roger Beachy, Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA • Richard Tapia, Director, Center for Excellence and Equity in Education, Rice University • Elske van de Fliert, Co-Director, Center for Communication and Social Change, University of Queensland • Robert Zeigler, Director General, IRRI

Elske van de Fliert

Co-Director, Center for Communication and Social Change, University of Queensland, Australia

There are no scientific sessions planned for Tuesday afternoon, so you are free to participate in one of several scientific field trips taking place. Ten unique field trips geared specifically toward the interests of attendees have been arranged for Tuesday afternoon.

You’ll have the opportunity to see Hawaii as you learn about local agricultural crops, diseases, and challenges. If you’re looking for a bigger adventure, you can participate in one of three premeeting field trips offered Thursday, August 4, through Saturday, August 6 to the outlying islands of Hilo, Kauai, or Maui. Participants will stay for two nights and take day trips customized for plant scientists. As always, APS-member-organized field trips take place on Saturday.

Robert Zeigler

Director General, IRRI, Philippines

Visit

www.apsnet.org/meet for more information.

The international and scientific diversity of members from the two host societies ensures that the latest innovations in disciplines focused on plant health will be well represented. Hawaii’s central location in the Pacific Rim makes this an opportunity for a truly unique experience, and I hope that both the program and the venue persuade you to participate.

Views of the Kalalau Valley from Kalalau Lookout.

Kokee State Park, Kauai, courtesy of Ron Dahlquist.

Pineapple by Joe Solem Photography, courtesy of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA).

I’m looking forward to meeting many new colleagues from around the world at this unique location.

For more information, visit www.apsnet.org/meet.

#8556-4/2011

Sincerely,

68 Phytopathology News

John Sherwood 2011 APS President n Hawaii’s Big Island courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Japan (HTJ).

Leadership Training New Initiatives Proposed at the APS Opportunities for 2011 Publications Board Midyear Meeting APS will offer several leadership training opportunities at the 2011 APS-IPPC Joint Meeting in Honolulu, HI. These workshops are designed to engage young professionals and develop the qualities necessary for successful leadership, including effective communication, teamwork, organization, conflict resolution, and a thorough understanding of what it means to be an effective leader.

Leadership Institutes Parts I and II August 5–6, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Join us August 5–6 for the APS Leadership Institute Parts I and II. This institute is designed to help individuals discover their unique leadership skills and begin to apply those skills to their professional, personal, and societal lives. This first in a series of two highly engaging workshops, facilitated by Teri Balser, University of Wisconsin-Madison, will cover what and who are leaders, why leadership is critical, types of leaders, leadership and personalities, developing effective leaders, leaders and changes, and leaders in professional organizations. Part II will delve into the interpersonal aspects of leadership and management, including conflict management and effective communication.

Start with Talent, Finish with Strength August 6, 10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Monsanto talent management experts will conduct a personal development workshop, “Start with Talent, Finish with Strength,” for students and post-docs on Saturday, August 6. The workshop aims to help you better understand your strengths and discover how you can harness them to make you more effective. The interactive workshop will be presented twice with lunch between the two sessions for registrant networking.

Visit www.apsnet.org/meetings/annual/ program/Pages/LeadershipOpportunities. aspx for more information on these valuable opportunities to enhance your leadership skills.

Attendance is limited; sign-up today! n

Anthony Keinath, Chair of Publications Board and Publications Councilor, tknth@clemson.edu

Anthony Keinath

The APS Publications Board met at APS Headquarters on March 5–6, 2011. The editors-in-chief and staff on the Publications Board discussed issues of concern to individual editorial boards, identified new initiatives to explore, and took time to “catch up” with each other. New editorsin-chief for Phytopathology and Plant Health Instructor were approved unanimously, and the nominations were forwarded to APS Council for final approval. Because annual meeting abstracts will only be published online starting in 2011, the Publications Board recommended that division abstracts also be published online and posted as soon as possible after the divisional meetings. They will be citable as Phytopathology online publications. It was recommended that a note be included in a print issue of Phytopathology alerting readers to the abstracts online.

One of the lengthier discussions during the meeting was how to handle the increasing number of Disease Notes submitted to Plant Disease. Processing Disease Notes requires senior editors to find two willing reviewers and edit the text, which amounts to a substantial effort despite the short length of Disease Notes. Several options under consideration include having staff take over all copyediting, which will reduce or eliminate text editing done by senior editors, who will edit Disease Notes for scientific content; increasing the charge for Disease Notes while maintaining a discount for APS members; and reviewing the requirements for Disease Notes (which have been added to several times over the years) with the aim of reducing the required elements so that the text can be shortened, making review faster. In future issues of Plant Disease, Disease Notes will be grouped by pathogen type to make them easier to peruse.

Publications Board members chose four priorities for the next 12 months that align with the APS Strategic Plan. An overriding concern is to maintain the quality and impact of APS journals in the face of competition from other scientific journals in related fields.

• The first on-going priority is to continue to subsidize page or color charges for invited reviews in Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (MPMI), mini-reviews in Phytopathology, and feature articles in Plant Disease.

• A new initiative is to evaluate a new “look” for MPMI and Phytopathology. (Plant Disease had a recent redesign that included the two-column layout that began in January 2011.) Two improvements to consider will be using a large color photo on the covers and updating the layouts of the tables of contents and introductory pages.

• There will be a three-month trial period to evaluate the need for software to detect plagiarism in manuscripts submitted to APS journals; this will be done through Manuscript Central.

• Finally, the Publications Board discussed forming a committee to evaluate the feasibility of publishing a new journal on plant stress (abiotic), microbes associated with food, plant pathology reviews, or another current research area. One model for making a new journal profitable within a short time frame is online publication with immediate open access paid by authors. n

AC Diagnostics, Inc. We Believe In Diagnostics New Products: Immunocapture PCR Kits, Food Safety Tests, and Lab Equipments .

ELISA tests for 300 plant pathogens with 100% customer satisfaction.

Please contact us for more detail information www.acdiainc.com; (479) 595-0320; infor@acdiainc.com Phytopathology News 69

Public Policy Update Public Policy Board Meets with Policy-Makers in Washington Jan Leach, PPB Chair, Jan.Leach@ColoState.edu The APS Public Policy Board (PPB) met in Washington, DC, March 13–16, for its annual meetings with agency administrators and other policymakers. Jeri Barak, Rick Bennett, Michael Boehm, Tom Harrington, Jan Leach Phyllis Himmel, Carol Ishimaru, Jan Leach, Jim Mueller, Mary Palm, John Sherwood, Frank Wong, and PPB’s Early Career Intern Melanie Lewis Ivey joined APS’s Washington liaison Kellye Eversole, and her associates Lori Leach and Angela Records of Eversole Associates, and APS staff members Michelle Bjerkness and Steve Nelson, in a series of meetings with agency and program administrators to continue to build cooperative relationships and address issues of common interest.

PPB members met with key political leaders at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, the Undersecretary for Research, Education, and Economics and Chief Scientist Cathie Woteki, and the chief of staff for Secretary Tom Vilsack, Krysta Harden. Members met also with representatives of various USDA agencies, including the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the Animal Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS), and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Within the Executive Office of the President, members met with the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Other executive branch agency visits included the Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Pesticide Programs, the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Microbial Genomes Program, and the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Division of Molecular & Cellular Biosciences and Microbial Genetics, Genes & Genome Systems Program, and the Division of Biological Infrastructure.

PPB members prepared and distributed several white papers highlighting APS’s current priority public policy issues, including funding for agricultural research, establishment and support for a National Plant Microbial Germplasm System (NPMGS) to protect collections for the future, enhancing partnerships for research and communication among plant pathologists and food scientists to ensure food safety, and promoting the education of future plant pathologists (white papers are posted on the APS PPB website, www.apsnet.org/members/ outreach/ppb). Most agencies updated us on their priorities and identified areas in which APS could be helpful to their work and where we could work together to advance the field of plant pathology. There was much frustration concerning the budget situation, and many are hoping their budgets will at the very best remain flat. Key initiatives and future actions determined included:

Stimulating discussions about the new initiatives at USDA NIFA were held with NIFA Director Roger Beachy during PPB’s time in DC. 70 Phytopathology News

1. General funding support. PPB continues to promote increased funding for agricultural research in general, including support for ARS, APHIS, NIFA, the National Plant Diagnostic Network, and the National Plant Disease Recovery System at USDA. We also promote fundamental plant

and microbial research at NSF and DOE, as well as fundamental and applied research at FDA on foodborne pathogens associated with plants. The current budgetary problems present terrific strain on the ability of these agencies to promote and fund food and agriculture science, and this is likely to continue. (Of note, we learned that at the time of WWII, the United States dedicated 40% of total discretionary funding to agriculture while today that number is only 4%.)

With NIFA, PPB emphasized support for addressing the big societal questions that frame NIFA’s structure. We followed up on issues that had been raised by APS members throughout the year, particularly concerning changes in the funding programs offered by NIFA. In response to input from the research community, NIFA will increase the competitive funds going to foundational programs. National Program Leaders (NPLs) within NIFA as well as program directors within NSF urged continued feedback and comment on the future directions of funding programs.

2. Culture resources system. Culture collections of plant-associated microbes are an essential resource foundation for U.S. science. The concern is that these are being lost due to retirements or inability to continue funding. PPB and APS members led several workshops to explore new paradigms for the future that will combine the critical elements of live cultures with the power of informational database systems to provide a sustainable system of microbial information and resources for the future. USDA ARS continues to support the new NPMGS both with financial input and physical infrastructure; of course, the steps taken are only the beginning and input on resources is needed to build the program further. We were especially pleased to learn more about the ARS request for significant new resources for microbial collections that was included in the administration’s FY 2012 budget request. Discussions with NSF program officers provided helpful insights that will guide the submission of a new Research Coordination Network proposal to link scientists nationally and internationally to facilitate this process.

3. Food safety. Increased concern about contamination of plant foods by the human pathogens E. coli and Salmonella have highlighted the complex relationship between such pathogens and plants. We have urged for funding opportunities for plant pathologists and food microbiologists to work together to

solve these problems. In addition to increased funding of plant pathologists in this area (see the March 2011 issue of Phytopathology News), a proposal led by PPB to host a research meeting in Washington, DC, this fall was funded. Our meetings with food safety groups from both USDA and FDA to further promote these collaborations and increased multidisciplinary funding were received with interest and enthusiasm. We were also pleased to learn that research funding and collaboration is now under discussion within the White House Food Safety Working Group and that the APS OSTP fellow, Mary Palm, has served as a liaison to that group.

5. EPA interactions.

PPB members spent one morning with key officials at EPA discussing a variety of issues that affect the practice of plant pathology. Key questions discussed were how the agency will administer the endocrine disruptor screening program as it relates specifically to the continued availability 4. Education. Due to efforts on several fronts of important by industry and scientific societies such as fungicides, how APS, the message that there is a critical need implementation USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan (center) joined PPB at their lunch reception to educate plant pathologists to address the changes in the at the USDA Whitten Building Patio, one of the main events held during their recent challenges facing agriculture is being well Endangered Species received in Washington. In general, the Act (ESA) will affect visit to DC. She is pictured here with APS PPB Chair Jan Leach (left) and APS President John Sherwood (right). funding agencies acknowledge that they play fungicide use, and an important role in knowledge infrastructure. how a regional APS members are encouraged to explore the limitation on chlorothanonil frequent and timely comments to legislators opportunities for support of graduate student may have far-reaching implications for other from their constituents. Hearing from you and post-doctoral training within NIFA and important plant health products. Other topics directly can have a much greater impact than NSF. Some difficult questions to answer were included pesticide drift labeling regulations, petitions or form letters. For timely information raised in our meeting with NIFA Director a national pollutant discharge elimination and updates on issues in Washington, as well Roger Beachy: “What is the economic cost system for the application of pesticides, as international funding and policy news, of having enough plant pathologists in the and the use of fungicides to promote plant our liaison Eversole is now publishing the future?” and “What is the ‘right’ number physiological benefits. PPB and EPA are Phytopath Policy Blog, which can be accessed of departments of plant pathology and the exploring cosponsoring a regulatory issues at www.apsnet.org/members/outreach/ppb/ number of faculty within those departments symposium at the 2012 APS Annual Meeting. blog. Refer to her blog for information on how in the future?” How would you answer these Frank Wong, the PPB subject matter expert to contact your representatives in Washington questions, if asked? working with EPA, is taking the lead on or elsewhere to directly provide input to developing a fungicide policy-makers on key issues. resistance symposium.

Discussions will The importance of representation in key continue over the positions, such as OSTP, where APS has coming year on these initiated a Fellow Program, emerged in several and other issues that meetings. Such representation is critical for may impact plant ensuring that agricultural perspectives and pathologists. issues are considered in strategic funding and regulatory decisions. Our current fellow, 6. General Items.

Palm, has very effectively raised awareness In several meetings, of plant pathology, agricultural research, including with culture collections, education of future plant Undersecretary pathologists, and food safety within OSTP and Woteki, we discussed with other governmental agencies and working the issue that groups. participation of USDA scientists in Finally, PPB represents our membership and society offices and our discipline, raising awareness, offering other positions is not science-based information, and creating evenly supported or productive linkages between policy-makers allowed across the and APS members. In addition to Eversole’s department. We were blog, please follow our monthly informational assured that this issue column in Phytopathology News and our alerts is being addressed in the online APS News Capsule. Write to any at the highest levels, PPB member with your and clarification suggestions, concerns, and and resolution are interests so that we can forthcoming. We better represent you in heard in many policy issues. n meetings of the PPB spent three days in DC where they met with more than 100 key contacts, importance of participating in nearly 25 group visits and two reception events.

Public Policy Update continued on page 72 Phytopathology News 71

Public Policy Update continued from page 71

Intrigued by Public Policy? Apply for the PPB Early Career Internship The APS Public Policy Board (PPB) is pleased to announce the availability of an internship.

The PPB early career intern will participate in PPB activities for the 2012–2013 fiscal years.

The internship is open to APS early career members (current graduate students or post-doctoral associates and junior professionals) and will provide an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in public policy at the national level that relates generally to agricultural science and specifically to matters of interest to APS. By working with PPB, the intern will learn how scientific societies, nongovernmental organizations, executive branch agencies (e.g., USDA, NSF, EPA, etc.), and the legislative branch interact in crafting public policy.

In the first year of the internship, the intern will be expected to participate in monthly PPB calls and in the preparation of newsletter items and policy white papers. The intern should be able to attend the 2013 spring governmental outreach meeting of PPB in Washington, DC (usually mid-March; travel expenses covered by PPB). At the end of the internship, the intern will prepare a written and/or oral report on the experience for delivery to PPB and APS membership. Other activities may include, but are not limited to, the following: attending PPB policy agenda-setting meetings and conference calls and organized workshops, where relevant, and assisting PPB with development, tracking, and analysis of relevant policy issues and with planning Capitol Hill and agency briefings.

More detailed information on this opportunity, including how to apply and summaries of previous interns’ experiences, is available at www.apsnet.org/members/outreach/ppb/Pages/ PublicPolicyEarlyCareerInternship.aspx. All application materials must be received by June 20, 2011, and should be sent to Jan Leach, PPB chair, at jan.leach@colostate.edu. n

Consider a Unique Opportunity to Impact Policy in DC as an APS Public Policy Fellow APS anticipates entering into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with a federal agency under which APS will place a public policy fellow. The APS public policy fellow would provide expertise in support of policy activities related to plant and microbial biology, agricultural and life sciences, food safety, and related technology. The APS public policy fellowship would be a temporary position beginning in summer 2011 for at least six months, but not longer than 12 months, depending on the selected individual and needs of the agency.

Division News Divisional Forum Develops Engagement Plan for APS Divisions David Schmale, Divisional Councilor, dschmale@ vt.edu, and George Sundin, Divisional Forum Representative, sundin@msu.edu The Divisional Forum (DF) had their first meeting on March 11, 2011, in Rehoboth Beach, DE, during the APS Potomac Division Meeting.

Those in attendance included Divisional Forum representatives from all six APS Divisions (George Sundin, Wade Elmer, Kate Everts, Jim Adaskaveg, Tim Brenneman, and Ron French), the Divisional Councilor (David Schmale), an APS staff member (Michelle Bjerkness), and an ex-officio member (John Rupe). DF crafted a formal Engagement Plan to link each of the divisions to DF and effectively coordinate subject, disciplinary, membership, and leadership development issues at the divisional level for APS Council. The Engagement Plan goals are to strengthen the divisions of APS by providing a framework for targeted programs, including education outreach and promoting extension linkages by 1) increasing their exposure to high school students and teachers, 2) attracting promising undergraduate students into the field of plant pathology, and 3) increasing their exposure to private and public sectors of extension.

DF also proposed a set of criteria to address the possibility of the development of new geographical and nongeographical APS divisions. DF will be working with council and the divisions to launch and implement the Engagement Plan in the coming months.

It is anticipated the incumbent would engage in a wide range of issues of relevance to science and technology often cut across the programmatic and disciplinary lines of energy, climate change, security, environment, agricultural/life/physical sciences, and technology. The fellow will have responsibility for engaging the federal sector and the greater scientific community in identified cross-cutting issues to identify and follow up on areas of need for coordination, cohesiveness, and targeted action. The incumbent will participate in the monthly Public Policy Board (PPB) teleconferences, the PPB spring meeting in Washington, DC, the business meeting at the APS Annual Meeting, and public policy sessions at APS conferences or workshops.

Details on the selection criteria and the selection process, as well as summaries written by past fellows, sharing highlights from their experiences, are available at www.apsnet.org/members/ outreach/ppb/Pages/PublicPolicyFellowship.aspx.

Please submit applications to PPB Chair Jan Leach (jan.leach@colostate.edu) by May 20, 2011.

Contact Leach, Kellye Eversole (eversole@eversoleassociates.com), or Michelle Bjerkness (mbjerkness@scisoc.org) with additional questions. n

72 Phytopathology News

The Divisional Forum on the beach in Rehoboth Beach, DE. From left to right: Jim Adaskaveg, Wade Elmer, Kate Everts, John Rupe, Ron French, George Sundin, Tim Brenneman, and David Schmale. n

Greetings from Texas: The 88th Southern Division Meeting The 88th meeting of the APS Southern Division was held February 6–7, 2011, at the Omni Hotel Bayfront Tower in Corpus Christi, TX, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists.

President-Elect David Langston coordinated the meeting program and local arrangements.

Standing in for weather-delayed President Boyd Padgett, Langston welcomed the group of 69 attendees (30 of whom were students) who contributed 39 presentations to the program.

The meeting kicked off on Super Bowl Sunday with a symposium entitled “The fat and skinny on nematodes eating plants,” presided over

by Langston. Outstanding presentations were made by the invited speakers, who included Don Dickson, University of Florida; Richard Davis, USDA-ARS; Brenda Ortiz, Auburn University; and Bob Kemerait, University of Georgia (UGA).

(University of Arkansas). Following the reading of this year’s resolutions by Seebold, the program came to a close with the passing of the gavel from outgoing President Padgett to President-Elect Langston, who adjourned the meeting until next year when we meet in Birmingham, AL. This year’s festivities concluded with a dinner social followed by the Southern Division DeBary Bowl emceed by Tim “Could You Be A Little More Specific” Brenneman. “Table 5,” led by APS President Sherwood, took this year’s honors in a closely contested battle.

President-Elect David Langston accepts the gavel from outgoing President Boyd Padgett.

Andrea Payne (OSU; advisor Damon Smith) placed second for her presentation “Validation of a pecan scab prediction model using repeated measures logistic regression analysis.”

Ashok Chanda (LSU; coadvisors Zhiyuan Chen and Ray Schneider) came in third for his presentation “The roles of light-induced proteins in the biosynthesis of cercosporin by Cercospora kikuchii.”

Past President Bob Kemerait, University of Georgia, and Ashok Chanda, third-place winner of the division’s Graduate Student Paper Competition.

The symposium was followed by a graduate student paper competition presided over by Past President Kemerait, who was joined on the judging panel by John Damicone, Augusto Joao, Kenny Seebold, and Jason Woodward.

Sixteen students took part in this year’s competition, with participants representing Louisiana State University (LSU), Mississippi State University, Oklahoma State University (OSU), Tarleton State University (TSU), Texas A&M University, the University of Arkansas, the University of Florida, and UGA. Bhabesh Dutta (UGA; advisor, Ron Wolcott) won first place for his presentation “Infestation of ovules

by Acidovorax citrulli during pistil and pericarp invasion in developing watermelon fruit.”

John Sherwood, APS president, addressed the group during its annual business meeting, providing the annual report on the state and activities of APS. Secretary-Treasurer Don Ferrin gave the membership, financial, and necrology reports for the division. Padgett presented travel awards to Dutta (UGA), Jennifer Miller (TSU), Payne (OSU), Bindu Poudel (University of Arkansas), and Hari Karki, Rebecca Melanson, Bishnu Shrestha, Nicole Ward, Washington da Silva, and Everlyne Wosula (LSU), and Jing Zhou

Past President Bob Kemerait congratulates Bhabesh Dutta, first-place winner of the division’s Graduate Student Paper Competition.

Past President Bob Kemerait congratulates Andrea Payne, who won second place in the Graduate Student Paper Competition.

We wish to thank the corporate sponsors for their support of this year’s meeting: AgraQuest, AMVAC, BASF, Brandt Consolidated, Dow AgroSciences, Gowan, Syngenta Crop Protection, United Phosphorous, Inc., and Valent U.S.A. The officers for the Southern Division for 2011-2012 are Langston, UGA, president; Schneider, LSU AgCenter, president-elect; Woodward, Texas Tech University & Texas AgriLife Research and Extension, vice president; Padgett, LSU AgCenter, immediate past president; Brenneman, UGA, Southern Division Divisional Forum representative; and Ferrin, LSU AgCenter, secretary-treasurer.

To see the complete program, visit the Southern Division’s website at www.apsnet.org/ members/divisions/south/ Pages/default.aspx. n

Phytopathology News 73

Southern Soybean Disease Workers Gather with the NCERA-212 Soybean Disease Committee in Florida for 38th Meeting The 38th meeting of the Southern Soybean Disease Workers (SSDW) was held March 9–10, 2011, at the Pensacola Beach Hilton in Pensacola Beach, FL, in conjunction with the NCERA-212 Soybean Disease Committee. President-Elect Tom Allen coordinated the local arrangements, and the meeting was presided over by President Boyd Padgett. This year, 56 people attended the meeting, including members from universities, USDA, and industry.

Since 1974, SSDW meets annually, collecting disease loss estimates from 16 soybean-producing states. The soybean disease loss estimates have been widely used and are regularly published to serve as a guide for organizations, such as the North Central Soybean Boyd Padgett handing over the president’s gavel to Research Program, the United Soybean Board, incoming President Tom Allen. as well as local soybean promotion boards when allocating funding for disease research. In addition to meeting on an annual basis, the proceedings from the meeting are forwarded to numerous libraries throughout the United States.

This year’s meeting began with a symposium on the identification of strobilurin-resistant Cercospora sojina, the frogeye leaf pathogen of soybean. Presentations were made by Carl Bradley, University of Illinois; Melvin Newman, emeritus faculty from the University of Tennessee; and Don Hershman, University of Kentucky. Presentations provided information on the extent of the problem in Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee, as well as potential management decisions resulting from the detection of these fungicide-resistant isolates.

A graduate student paper competition followed the symposium and was presided over by PresidentElect Allen. Four students representing Louisiana State University (LSU) and Mississippi State University (MSU) participated in the competition. Nicole Ward (LSU AgCenter; advisor, Ray Schneider) won first place for her presentation “Mycoparasitism of Phakopsora pachyrhizi by Simplicillium lanosoniveum and Its Effects on Soybean Rust: A Microscopy Study.” Joshua Jones (MSU; coadvisors, Fred Musser and Angus Catchot) won second place for his presentation “Relationship Between Stink Bugs and Seed Decay in Mississippi Soybean Production.”

This year’s Distinguished Service Award was presented to Jason Bond, Southern Illinois University, for his many years of outstanding service to soybean producers. In addition, Loren Giesler, University of Nebraska, and Hershman, University of Kentucky, were recognized for their efforts in developing and maintaining the National Soybean Rust Monitoring Network.

Additionally, we’d like to thank our sponsors: AgraQuest, Arysta LifeScience, BASF, Bayer CropScience, Cheminova, DuPont, North Central Soybean Research Program, Pioneer, SipcamAdvan, Syngenta Crop Protection, United Phosphorous, United Soybean Board, and Valent U.S.A.

Meeting The American Peanut Research and Education Society’s 43rd Annual Meeting The annual meeting of the American Peanut Research and Education Society (APRES) will be held July 12–14, 2011, at the Historic Menger Hotel in San Antonio, TX. Registration will begin at noon on Tuesday, July 12.

Research and extension papers will be presented on all phases of the peanut industry. Several social functions are planned for attendees in addition to the technical conference.

For additional information, contact Todd Baughman, 2011 APRES Program Committee chair, at ta-baughman@tamu.edu. n

Are Your Turf Talents Popular at Parties?

Have you been interrupted at parties to help the host with some turf issues? Then share your passion for plant disease (and your popularity) by downloading the most recent “You’re Probably a Plant Pathologist” poster.

The officers for SSDW for 2011–2012 are Allen, MSU—president; Clayton Hollier, LSU AgCenter—vice president; Danise Beadle, Bayer CropScience—secretary; Cliff Coker, University of Arkansas—treasurer; and Stephen Koenning, North Carolina State University— Disease Loss Estimate Committee chair.

The next meeting of SSDW will be held in conjunction with the NCERA-212 Soybean Disease Committee in Pensacola Beach, FL, on March 6–8, 2012. n Southern Soybean Disease Workers student competitors (from left to right) J. Jones, N. A. Ward, P. Price, and T. A. Rush.

74 Phytopathology News

View all the “Plant Pathologist” posters at www.apsnet.org/members/Pages/ YoureProbablyAPlantPathologist.aspx

PMN Offers Discounted Subscription for First-Time and Lapsed Subscribers Through May 31, the Plant Management Network’s (PMN’s) applied, searchable online resources are available at a $28 discounted rate for first-time and currently lapsed subscribers.

That’s an additional $10 off the already discounted $38 APS member price. Just use coupon code “onpmn” during the checkout process in PMN’s Yahoo! store at http:// subscribe.stores.yahoo.net/memberdiscount. html.

PMN’s resources include Plant Health Progress, a peer-reviewed journal featuring the latest applied research on plant disease, entomology, and nematology. PMN also publishes three other journals, Crop Management, Forage and Grazinglands, and Applied Turfgrass Science.

PMN’s nonjournal resources include Plant Disease Management Reports and Arthropod Management Tests, which feature efficacy reports of fungicides, nematicides, insecticides, and other chemical and nonchemical means of pest control. They also include a webcast education center; proceedings of symposia and national meetings; PMN Image Collections, which offer more than 4,000 images of plant diseases, insects, and other agricultural images; and the PMN Partner Extension Search, a new search feature which directs users to the extension resources of PMN’s 37 land-grant university partners.

The collective scope of these resources includes integrated pest management, crop and rangeland management, turf management, soil science, weed science, and other subjects critical to applied researchers and practitioners.

PMN’s mission is to enhance the health, management, and production of agricultural and horticultural crops. PMN is jointly managed by The American Phytopathological Society, Crop Science Society of America, and the American Society of Agronomy.

If you have questions, please contact Phil Bogdan, communications manager, at pbogdan@scisoc.org or at +1.651.994.3859. n

OIP News & Views Countdown to the 2011 Silent Auction

The countdown to the OIP Silent Auction has begun. In only three months, APS volunteers and staff will gather for the crowd-pleasing and fundraising seventh annual Silent Auction on Sunday, August 7, 2011. This yearly event has raised nearly $20,000 to support the Global Experience Program, which aims to connect APS plant pathologists with scientists and extension personnel in developing countries in training and outreach efforts.

In 2010, the Global Experience was able to support Richard Lee’s workshop

on detection and control strategies of invasive diseases of citrus in the Caribbean Basin. APS member Lee is a research leader and research plant pathologist with the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm and Repository for Citrus and Dates in Riverside, CA. In 2011, we need your support to help OIP garner funds to support additional training and outreach efforts like Lee’s. It’s easy! You can donate an item, volunteer your time, or make a bid!

Donations may be in the form of crafts (wood carvings, hand-made items), artwork (jewelry), wine, regional food specialties, books, services, or other items reflecting your culture or cultures you have visited. This year, items must be brought with you to the meeting or mailed to an APS contact in Hawaii (details available on APSnet). This year, we will need additional volunteers to account for shipments to Hawaii. If you would rather volunteer your time and collect items, meet members, and support the Global Experience Program, please contact OIP Silent Auction Chair Annemiek Schilder (schilder@msu.edu) or APS staff member Amanda Aranowski (aaranowski@scisoc.org).

And the easiest way to support the auction? Make a bid! Peruse the goodies and find one to take home with you. Remember that every winning bid goes to support a worthy cause!

Detailed information on the Silent Auction, including how to donate items, donation forms, and the shipping address for mailing items, is available online at www.apsnet.org/members/outreach/ oip/Pages/SilentAuction.aspx. n

Lights! Camera! (Plant Pathology in) Action!

Enter your video today for the 2011 Video Contest and the chance to win $500.

Two Exciting Categories this Year: • It’s a Microbial World After All • Central Concepts in Plant Pathology

$500

The grand-prize winner will take home $500 and the runner-up wins an APS Flip video camera.

This year, the lucky winner of the special Judges’ Award will also receive a Flip video camera.

Learn more and upload your video at www.apsnet.org/members/outreach/opro/pages/ videocontest.aspx.

Phytopathology News 75

Candidates for APS Office Candidate Profiles for Vice President George S. Abawi Professor of Plant Pathology and International Agriculture, Department of Plant Pathology and PlantMicrobe Biology Cornell University Geneva, NY Area of Specialization Soilborne pathogens, root diseases, vegetable diseases, IPM, soil health.

Academic Record B.S., 1962, University of Baghdad (plant sciences); M.S., 1965, Cornell University (CU) (plant pathology, soil microbiology); Ph.D., 1970, CU (plant pathology, mycology).

Brief Description of Professional Achievements My first position after graduate school was as a post-doctoral fellow in plant nematology at CU (1970–1972) with the late Bill Mai, working on the biology and management of lesion, rootknot, and cyst nematodes. In 1972, I joined the Department of Plant Pathology in Geneva as an assistant professor of vegetable crop pathology.

My major research activities have dealt with the ecology and biology of fungal and nematodal soilborne pathogens and the integrated management of their root diseases. My research projects have been of a problem-solving nature and have included both applied and basic aspects of plant pathology and nematology. All control measures, including seed and soil treatment with pesticides, cultural practices, host resistance, and biological products, have been investigated.

Recently, research projects have emphasized microbial interactions, identification of resistant germplasm sources, and the development of soil-IPM programs for vegetable production systems. Current collaborative research projects deal with a holistic approach to assessing soil health status and implementing sustainable soil health management practices. My major extension activities focus on providing the latest background information on the diagnosis and management of plant diseases impacting vegetable production to extension educators, growers, and other agricultural service providers.

In addition, I have always been interested in international agriculture and have developed a special interest in tropical diseases as well as collaboration with colleagues and institutions in many countries.

76 Phytopathology News

Service to APS Member and chair, APS Foundation (2006– 2010); member, Office of Public Relations and Outreach (2005–2008); director, Office of International Programs (2001–2004); APS representative to the International Society of Plant Pathology (ISPP) (1998–2008); secretarytreasurer, vice president, and president, Northeastern Division (1990–1993); associate editor, Plant Disease and Phytopathology; member or chair, Long-Range Planning, Tropical Plant Pathology, Nematology, Soil Microbiology and Root Diseases, and Biological Control Committees.

Other Professional Service Department extension leader (2008–present); member, CALS Faculty Environmental Task Force (2004–2006); member, Faculty Advisory Committee on Tenure, Provost Office, CU (2006–2008); Steering Committee, Cornell International Agriculture Program (1986–1990); Extension Committee, Society of Nematologists (SON) (2006–2009); Biological Control Committee, SON (1993–1996); Ecology Committee, SON (1995–1999); Cochair, Local Arrangement Committee, SON Annual Meeting (2003); associate editor, Journal of Nematology and Nematologia Mediterranea; ISPP Soilborne Plant Pathogens Committee (1988–1998); New York State Bean (Snap & Dry), Beets, Peas, Carrot, and Onion Grower Advisory Committees (1972–present); major advisor at CU for 14 graduate students.

Awards and Honors Northeastern Division Award of Merit (2009); Faculty Fellow, Atkinson Center for Sustainable Future, Cornell University (2009); Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Extension/ Outreach-Team, CALS, CU (2008); APS Fellow (1993); CIBA-Geigy Agricultural Recognition Award from APS (1977).

Statement of Vision for APS I am proud to have been a member of APS for the past 48 years and have served our society as outlined above. I have learned a great deal from these involvements and became familiar with the workings and challenges of our society.

We are truly fortunate that our society is financially sound, managed well, and responsive to members’ needs. The latter is due to the vision of our previous leaders, contributions of our current leaders and volunteer members, and the hard work of the excellent professional staff at headquarters. The challenge for us is to maintain and expand this high level of performance of APS in serving the science, membership, and the public at large.

We have witnessed in recent years great changes and evolutions of all aspects of our discipline of plant pathology from the fundamental molecular level to disease diagnosis and on-farm disease management. We truly need to maintain the breadth of our discipline and to provide a broad training to our students and future leaders. I strongly support the recent efforts of APS in leading the Coalition for a Sustainable Agricultural Workforce, consisting of numerous industries and scientific societies in soliciting funding to educate and attract bright students to agricultural sciences. Such collaborative involvements should continue as a high priority for APS in recruiting and educating the future generation of plant pathologists.

APS is a major resource on the latest information and events in plant pathology through its highly regarded scientific journals, other publications, website content, and outreach activities. The annual and divisional meetings as well as the online courses and discussions have contributed to connecting members of the society. The challenge is to expand and improve these resources and activities to serve our global membership and the public at large. APS is truly an international society with more than one-third of the membership from abroad, thus the challenge is to provide appropriate service to our international membership and especially for those in developing countries. APS will also need to continue to proactively articulate the contributions of our profession and members in addressing important current issues, such as sustainability, global warming, genetic engineering, food safety and security, soil health and management, and others. Obviously, these complex topics can only be addressed in collaboration with other scientific societies and industries, but APS can take the initiative and lead in doing so.

Finally, the major revenue for APS in recent years was provided from sales and subscriptions to Plant Disease, Phytopathology, and other APS PRESS publications. It is unlikely that APS will maintain the same level of revenue from these publications, considering the pressure to make them available online shortly after publication and the expected drop in library subscriptions.

Thus, it is critical to investigate other sources of revenue that are appropriate considering APS’s mission and goals.

I am thankful to be nominated to run for the position of vice president of APS. If elected, I am ready at this stage of my professional career to devote the needed time to serve our society and its membership to the best of my ability.

Robert L. Wick Professor, Department of Plant Soil and Insect Sciences University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA

Area of Specialization Diagnostic plant pathology, diseases of vegetables and ornamentals, nematode diseases of turfgrasses.

Academic Record B.S., University of Connecticut (UC) (natural resources); M.S., UC (natural resources, plant pathology); Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) (plant pathology).

Brief Description of Professional Achievements After completing my Ph.D. degree at Virginia Tech, I joined the faculty as an assistant professor, where my primary responsibility was to run the Plant Clinic and Nematode Advisory Service. In 1984, I returned to my native New England, to the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Suburban Experiment Station, where I ran the Plant Clinic and carried out extension and research on diseases of vegetables, ornamentals, and turf. In 1985, I did a sixweek consultancy in Bangladesh for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In 1991, I was promoted to associate professor and relocated to the Amherst campus, where I continued plant disease diagnostics and began teaching. Over the past 20 years, I have taught plant pathology, diagnostic plant pathology, forest pathology, turfgrass pathology, nematology, biological control, and mycology.

In 2000, I returned to Bangladesh as a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) cooperative researcher on three different projects; one of which was to establish the first dedicated Plant Disease Clinic in Bangladesh. In 2006, I received a Fulbright Scholar Award to teach diagnostic plant pathology at Bangladesh Agricultural University. Since then, I have returned every year to teach workshops.

Service to APS Chair, Northeastern Division Local Arrangements Committee (2000, 2010); Northeastern Division councilor (2006–2009), president (1996–1997), vice president (1995– 1996), and secretary-treasurer (1994–1995); compiler, developing standard names for diseases of floricultural crops (1996–1997); chair, Turfgrass and Ornamentals Working Group (1994–1995); Northeastern Division

Graduate Student Award Committee (1992– 1995); Diseases of Ornamentals and Turfgrasses Committee (1990–1992); chair, Diagnostic Plant Pathology Committee (1988–1989); chair, Northeastern Division Extension Committee (1988–1989).

Other Professional Service Organized a national workshop on the identification of Rhizoctonia at Michigan State University in conjunction with the annual meeting of APS (1989–1990); organized a national workshop on the identification of Phytophthora species at Ohio State University (1986–1987); Department of Microbiology, graduate program director, UMass; College Personnel Committee; various departmental personnel committees, chair and member, UMass.

Awards and Honors Fulbright Scholar (2006); UMass, Department of Plant Soil and Insect Sciences, Favorite Faculty Award (2010).

Statement of Vision for APS I am honored to be nominated for vice president of APS and grateful to those who supported my nomination. My experience as officer and councilor of the APS Northeastern Division has deepened my appreciation for the talented, hardworking people on council and at headquarters. If elected to the Executive Committee, I will focus on the issues of membership, financial viability, international growth, and relevancy of APS. As I consider my vision for APS, I find it instructive to look back on my 30-plus-year career and consider the changes. In the 1970s, when I was a Ph.D. candidate at Virginia Tech, biochemistry and physiology of host-parasite interactions was the frontier of our discipline and that was the path I planned to follow.

However, my assistantship landed me in the Plant Diagnostic Clinic, where I quickly became inspired by the process of discovery on the applied side. I have continued in diagnostics my entire career, teaching courses and workshops to students and professionals both in the United States and abroad.

One of the major changes has been the advancement of molecular biology. This has had a tremendous impact on the science of plant pathology but in some ways has increased the gap between applied and basic research. On the other hand, many applied scientists are using molecular techniques to solve practical problems, and we need to look for opportunities to bring more synergy to collaboration between applied and basic research. As teachers and advisors of students, we need to ensure that our students studying applied science become knowledgeable and handy with molecular

techniques. Indeed many diagnostic labs now use PCR and sequencing to identify pathogens not amenable to conventional techniques. Conversely, there are molecular plant pathologists who want to learn more about applied plant pathology. An APS survey showed that a significant number of graduate students, who identified themselves as basic researchers, desired more experience in applied plant pathology. There is recognition, I believe, that applied plant pathology can complement basic research. Unfortunately, the trend has been that our molecular brethren less frequently attend our annual meeting; many do not attend at all, and few molecular topics are presented at divisional meetings. While it may not be possible to keep all of the molecular plant pathologists as members of APS, with some creativity, we can make some progress in this area.

On another topic, I have been fortunate to share my expertise in several developing countries, including Bangladesh, Colombia, and Mexico.

This has brought immense personal and professional satisfaction and I encourage APS members to consider similar opportunities.

In addition to the rewards of teaching, I have learned much from my colleagues from abroad, not just about agriculture and plant pathology but about myself, and how to be a better citizen of the globe we all share.

Over the past several years, I have reviewed approximately 70 Fulbright Scholar applications related to plant biology; agriculture was rarely addressed and I have only seen one proposal that included plant pathology. I think the committees that review Fulbright applications would look very favorably to projects that contribute to food security in developing countries. I would like to see a symposium at the annual meeting where APS members who have worked in developing countries share their experiences.

This is a great time to be a plant pathologist.

Molecular genetics research is uncovering the details of host-parasite interactions. Microarrays are being developed that can detect multiple pathogens with one test. Food security is the new buzzword, and for good reason. We plant pathologists have a lot to contribute in this area.

The U.S. government has begun a “Feed the Future” funding program. The recent initiative

by APS to increase our international footprint can only help facilitate collaboration with other countries. Let’s get on board.

Candidates for APS Office continued on page 78 Phytopathology News 77

Candidates for APS Office continued from page 77

Candidate Profiles for Councilor-at-Large

Darin M. Eastburn Associate Professor, Department of Crop Sciences University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL

Area of Specialization Biology and ecology of soilborne plantpathogenic fungi, diseases of soybeans, alternative disease management, scholarship of teaching and learning.

Academic Record B.A., 1981, Humboldt State University (botany); M.S., 1984, University of CaliforniaDavis (UC Davis) (plant pathology); Ph.D., 1986, UC Davis (plant pathology).

Brief Description of Professional Achievements My career in plant pathology has been somewhat diverse, as I have had appointments in extension, research, and teaching; and I have worked with fruit, vegetable, and field crops.

My research has focused mainly on the ecology of soilborne pathogenic fungi, looking at the effects of environment, hosts, and microbial communities on pathogen populations and disease development. For the past 12 years, I have worked on soilborne diseases of soybean, evaluated diseases during the transition from conventional to organic agriculture, and studied the effects of elevated CO2 and ozone on soybean diseases. As an extension specialist for diseases of vegetable crops from 1988 to 1999, I conducted applied research on diseases important to the commercial vegetable industry, kept growers up to date on disease management information, and fostered the delivery of information using multimedia and electronic technologies to extension clientele. I also have significant teaching responsibilities, teaching graduate courses in plant-pathogenic fungi, plant disease diagnosis, and professionalism and ethics, as well as a general education undergraduate course called Plants, Pathogens, and People. I am also involved in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). I regularly conduct research to evaluate the teaching practices and methods used in my courses, and present and publish the finding of these evaluations to help other instructors improve their teaching effectiveness.

78 Phytopathology News

Service to APS Office of Electronic Communications (2000–present [director, 2005–present]); senior editor, APS PRESS (2010–present); senior editor, Education Center (2000–2002); Publications Board (2005–present); Governance Subcommittee—Effective Communication Pathways (2009); Centennial Planning Committee, project leader, Oral History DVD (2006–2008); editor, APSnet Features (2002– 2005); Office of Public Affairs and Education (now Office of Public Relations and Outreach) (2002–2005); Education Center Editorial Board (2000–2005); Plant Health Progress Editorial Board (2003–2005); Plant Health Instructor Editorial Board (2002–2005); Plant Management Network Soybean Rust Advisory Group (2004–2008); Electronic Technologies Advisory Group (1996–2000 [chair, 1999– 2000]); Annual Meeting workshop organizer (1999, 2000, 2001); associate editor, Plant Disease (1994–1996); Teaching Committee (2004–present [chair, 2007]); Mycology Committee (2000–2008); Soilborne Pathogens Committee (1992–1995); Extension Committee (1996–1999); Illustrations Committee (1995– 1997).

Other Professional Service International Society for Plant Pathology, Teaching Committee (2000–present [chair, 2008–present]); North Central Region (NCR) Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), Administrative Council (2011– present); National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, Annual Meeting Planning Committee (2006–2007); Urbana Tree Commission (2006–present).

Awards and Honors North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Teacher Fellow (2008); College of ACES Faculty Achievement Award for Extension (1998).

Statement of Vision for APS Plant pathology has always been multidisciplinary, with foci of research, teaching, and extension, and with a range of basic to applied research. That diversity is more pronounced today than ever before, with new areas of research, new methods of communication and collaboration, and increasingly international frames of reference. This increased diversity of expertise and interests, along with the transition of traditional plant pathology departments into multidisciplinary units, has made APS even more important as the focal point for interactions among scientists interested in plant pathogens and plant health.

APS needs to continue to explore innovative means to improve the exchange of scientific information and to foster collaboration. As a

member of the Electronic Technology Advisory Group, I helped APS keep up to date on electronic information delivery. As a member of the group that developed APSnet, initiated the Education Center, and started the online journals Plant Health Progress and Plant Health Instructor, I helped APS adopt new technologies and anticipate future communication needs.

I have sustained that effort as the director of the Office of Electronic Communications by overseeing a major update of APSnet, where communication with and among members was identified as the top priority. As the APSnet Features editor, I was responsible for presenting a broad range of topics to a very diverse audience. My experiences on subject matter committees—mycology, teaching, extension, soil microbiology, and illustrations—have informed my work with fellow members and the Scientific Programs Board to develop timely and relevant programming for the annual meetings.

I have also worked with APS staff to evaluate policies and provide services, such as workshops on effective teaching and webpage design, in response to needs expressed by members.

Because publications are a major member activity and contributor to the financial health of APS, and because of major changes in the publishing industry, APS needs to keep pace with innovations in electronic publishing to stay relevant and prosperous. The vision of publishing the first disease compendium may have seemed risky at the time, but that success led to the establishment of APS PRESS. To remain at the forefront of scientific publishing, we need to foster that same sense of vision. In association with my teaching and extension efforts, I have explored new ideas and techniques in information delivery, such as the production of DVDs, web pages, and audio podcasts. I have subsequently promoted the adoption of these technologies within APS as a member of the Publications Board, as a senior editor for APS PRESS, and as a member of the Education Center Editorial Board. Adopting “new media,” fostering user-generated content, and adapting to new means of information delivery are issues that we must address now.

APS is a vibrant and successful organization with fantastic members and a great staff, but we need to explore innovative ideas if we are to maintain our current level of success. APS is where it is today—scientifically respected, politically influential, and fiscally sound— because of past visionary endeavors, endeavors that may have seemed risky at the outset, but proved to be critical to the success of the society. As APS councilor-at-large, I will use my expertise in teaching, extension, and research, along with my experience with APS governance, to help APS anticipate and fulfill the needs of our members.

Jeffrey B. Jones Professor Department of Plant Pathology University of Florida Gainesville, FL

Area of Specialization Bacterial diseases on pepper, tomato, and citrus; research associated with ecology and epidemiology of bacterial diseases and plantmicrobe interactions.

Academic Record B.S., 1973, University of Massachusetts (botany); M.S., 1974, and Ph.D., 1980, Virginia Tech (plant pathology).

Brief Description of Professional Achievements Jones and coworkers worked extensively on plant resistance and identified the first source of resistance in tomato associated with a hypersensitive reaction to the bacterial spot pathogen, Xanthomonas euvesicatoria. They have since identified several unique tomato and pepper strains and characterized associated avirulence genes. Jones has been involved in cooperative projects to develop tomato and/or pepper genotypes with high levels of resistance to two bacterial pathogens, Xanthomonas euvesicatoria and Ralstonia solanacearum.

Jones and coworkers have been involved in chemical and biological control strategies.

They demonstrated that copper resistance in X. euvesicatoria is plasmid-borne. Recently they characterized copper resistance in xanthomonads associated with citrus. Jones and coworkers demonstrated that bacteriophages could be effectively used to control bacterial spot disease on tomato.

Jones and coworkers conducted in-depth analyses of a worldwide collection of xanthomonads associated with tomato and pepper using a polyphasic approach and identified considerable genetic and phenotypic diversity. As a result, several distinct groups were identified and classified as X. euvesicatoria, X. gardneri, and X. perforans. They sequenced the latter two genomes and X. vesicatoria and compared them with a previously sequenced X. euvesicatoria strain to identify host specificity factors.

He has also studied the ecology and epidemiology of bacterial pathogens, working on detection strategies for isolating and identifying bacteria in ecological studies, including seed detection. He developed a sensitive vacuum infiltration procedure and selective media, respectively, for isolating Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and Xanthomonas euvesicatoria from soil, crop residue, and weeds. Jones developed a novel isolation procedure, magnetic immunoisolation, to isolate the bacterium with reduced contaminating microorganisms from samples.

Service to APS Active member since 1980. Served on the Bacteriology Committee (chair, 1994; vice chair, 1993), Tropical Plant Pathology Committee (chair, 1996), and the Germplasm and Culture Collections Committee. Served as a senior editor for Plant Disease (1993–1996), APS PRESS (2000–2003), and Phytopathology (2006–2009) and published extensively in all three APS journals. Edited or coedited two books (Compendium of Tomato Diseases and the 3rd edition of the Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria) published by APS PRESS and is in the process of updating the Compendium of Tomato Diseases.

Chair of the APS Task Force for Culture Collections (2005–2010).

Other Professional Service Secretary, vice president, and president of the Florida Society of Plant Pathologists (1999–2002); interim chair, University of Florida (UF), Department of Plant Pathology (2009–2010); southern regional director of the National Plant Diagnostic Network (2009– present); coorganizer of the First International Tomato Disease Symposium (2004); organizer of Second International Symposium on Biological Control of Bacterial Plant Diseases (2008); and coorganizer of Xanthomonas Genomics Conference (2009).

Awards and Honors UF Research Foundation Professorship (2002– 2004; 2008–2010); Fulbright Scholar (2005); APS Fellow (2001); Council Memorial Tomato Research Award (1985, 1993).

Statement of Vision for APS APS’s success is a result of the vision of its membership and staff. APS is the premier scientific society, maintaining a continued strong focus on applied and basic aspects of plant pathology of interest to a worldwide community and includes members from more than 100 countries. The direction of this society results from the committed membership and staff.

As a result, APS has evolved over the years to maintain its standing as a leader in forums for delivering applied and basic research. APS has in the past and must in the future provide diverse mechanisms for delivering information.

Beyond the conventional mechanisms for publishing research (i.e., peer-reviewed journals), APS continues to find less conventional ways, such as the Plant Management Network, to provide online applied research in plant science to a wider community. With technology constantly evolving, APS has fostered forums to present diverse avenues of research in plant pathology, ranging from applied to basic. This is accomplished largely by APS committees, which represent the interests of different groups, lobbying for special sessions that are timely and informative. APS is cognizant of the importance of change and the importance of adapting to societal and technological needs. With that in mind, an APS committee came up with a vision for the future of plant pathology in the 21st century. The foundation of this vision is that plant pathology will become even more of a global discipline in which the fundamentals of plant-microbe interactions are integral to the advancement of plant health and productivity.

Research should focus on building knowledge on the biology of plant-microbe interactions.

Our understanding at the molecular level is advancing quickly and providing insights into future practical uses. APS will need to continue fostering novel disease control strategies that do not rely solely on conventional approaches.

Genetic engineering is inevitable and will be an important player in minimizing disease losses and environmental risks. I would encourage APS to continue to think outside of the discipline and foster open discussions through joint meetings with other disciplines. APS throughout the years has been committed to involve highly regarded scientists from other disciplines in APS functions, whether at national meetings or through their inclusion in scientific journals.

This commitment to include quality scientists from other disciplines makes the national meetings appealing to students and scientists who can hear the latest research from other disciplines’ findings. This commitment should not just include established scientists but also young scientists and graduate students within our discipline and outside who are conducting novel basic and applied research.

APS has been a special organization to me for my entire professional career and has been instrumental to my development. I appreciate being nominated to serve as an APS leader. I hope to continue to foster the vision of its members and continue to move the discipline forward.

Candidates for APS Office continued on page 80 Phytopathology News 79

Candidates for APS Office continued from page 79

Eric C. Tedford Technical Brand Manager, Fungicides Syngenta Crop Protection Greensboro, NC

Area of Specialization Over the past 15 years with Syngenta, I have specialized in several areas, including postharvest, row crop, and specialty horticultural crop disease control. However, my overarching focus has always been on applied plant pathology and more specifically on research and development of fungicides for agriculture.

Academic Record B.S., 1982, University of Massachusetts (plant pathology); M.S., 1986, Clemson University (plant pathology); Ph.D., 1994, University of California (plant pathology); post-doc, 1995, Washington State University (WSU) (plant pathology).

Brief Description of Professional Achievements After receiving an M.S. degree in plant pathology from Clemson University in 1986 under Bruce Fortnum, I began my professional career as a plant pathologist in the tobacco breeding program at the University of Kentucky. In 1990, I joined Bruce Jaffee’s lab to work toward a Ph.D. degree in biological control of nematodes.

In 1994, I joined WSU to work with Debra Inglis on the pea cyst nematode. In 1995, I joined Zeneca in Richmond, CA, as a research plant pathologist. In 1996, I was promoted to fungicide team leader for North America and was intimately involved with the development of azoxystrobin. In 2000, I moved to Basel, Switzerland, as a global technical manager for fungicides. In 2004, I returned to California to lead development of our postharvest fungicide business. In 2007, I moved to Greensboro, NC, as a fungicide technical brand manager.

Service to APS Member, APS Leadership Institute (2009– present); member, Postharvest Disease Control Committee (2003–2004, 2010–2011 [chair,

80 Phytopathology News

2008–2009; vice chair, 2005–2007]); member, Industry Committee (2009–2011); member, Chemical Control Committee (2008–2011); senior editor, Education Center Editorial Board (2004–2009); member, Sustaining Associate Committee (1997–2000 [chair, 2005–2009]); member, Office of Industry Relations (2005– 2009); member, Industry Committee (1997– 1999, 2004–2009 [chair, 2000]); member, Office of Electronic Communications (2002–2005).

Other Professional Service Member, Society of Nematologists (SON) Industry Committee (1997–2000); member, SON Biological Control Committee (1993– 1995); member, SON Membership Committee (1992–1993); student member, Chancellor’s Administrative Advisory Committee (Storer Lectureship Committee), University of California-Davis (UC Davis) (1992–1993); student member, Department of Plant Pathology Graduate Affairs Committee (1991–1992); president, UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology Students (DOPPS) (1991–1992).

Awards and Honors Team winner, Syngenta Award, Overcoming resistance: Changing the regulatory paradigm in postharvest fruit treatments (2010); regional team winner, Syngenta Award, The plant performance story (2008); team winner, Syngenta Development Innovation Award (2008); Jastro Shields Graduate Research Scholarship, UC Davis (1993); Sustainable Agriculture Graduate Award, UC Davis (1993); Standard Oil Co. Fellowship, UC Davis (1992); Jastro Shields Graduate Research Scholarship, UC Davis (1991); and three research grants from the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. (one in 1988 and two in 1987).

Statement of Vision for APS It’s hard to believe that it was 30 years ago when I first joined APS. Back then I was an undergraduate plant pathology student just eager to learn. Heck, I joined APS just for the journals and to be able to attend regional and national meetings. Over the years, I experienced the many benefits that this fine professional organization has to offer. APS provides a true opportunity for our diverse global community of scientists to share credible and beneficial information related to disease control, and to advocate and participate in knowledge exchange with the public, policy makers, and the larger scientific community. This, in fact, is part of the vision of APS. I believe my personal vision is, and always has been, closely aligned with that vision.

In working for Syngenta, my vision has been to support growers and develop tools that will allow them to successfully and sustainably grow disease-free crops so they can help feed the world.

Bringing plant potential to life is the heart of what we do at Syngenta, and I would argue that it also is a mainstream part of what we do within APS. It is important that we do not lose track of this vision because we (plant pathologists) are more important today than ever before. The world population is estimated to be growing by two people per second. So if it takes you five minutes to read this statement, there will be 600 more people in the world by the time you finish.

Sixty years ago, farmers had to feed two people from every hectare of land. Their grandchildren now have to feed more than twice as many. At the same time, urbanization continues to put pressure on land availability for agricultural use. Some new land will come into agricultural production in the coming years, but other areas will be lost to urbanization and erosion. So there has never been a greater need to grow more with less.

An unfortunate situation that has progressed concurrently with our increasing need for applied plant pathologists has been the downsizing of plant pathology departments, mergers with other disciplines, and progression away from “field” plant pathology. The fact is we have a shrinking pool of students prepared for applied jobs. At the same time, many of the applied faculty positions have evaporated with retirements and economic constraints on departments. This is no surprise to APS Council as they created an ad hoc committee in 2006 to analyze the status of plant pathology training. A 2009 workshop on the future of education in plant pathology clearly revealed that there is a need for broader training in agriculture. APS is proudly a partner with the Coalition for a Sustainable Agricultural Workforce along with many partners from industry. This innovative partnership is focused on training future generations of scientists for positions at universities, corporations, and government agencies. These are exactly the kinds of initiatives we need in order to grow more for less and to thrive as a society of professional plant pathologists.

I am proud to be a member of APS, and I am truly honored to have been nominated for this position. I understand the leadership commitment that comes with it, and I believe that with my past leadership experiences, I have much to offer APS. n

Outreach Reaching Out—A Guide to the Latest Resources from OPRO The APS Office of Public Relations (OPRO) has a great deal of resources available to you, our members, and the general public. OPRO aims to answer the questions: How do we attract the next generation of plant pathologists? How do we reach out to our future scientists, policy-makers, and practitioners? How do we make K-12 students aware of plant pathology? Through participation in the FFA National Convention, the National Association of Biology Teacher’s Annual Meeting, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), and PlantingScience.org, OPRO seeks to engage and educate teachers and students about plant pathology. OPRO understands the importance of reaching out to high school students and students attending community colleges.

The group is currently working on a new poster targeted at these groups that will focus on the career possibilities of plant pathology, emphasizing the significant impact these careers make on our world.

IMPORTANT APS DATES TO REMEMBER May 2011 2 Election e-mail sent to membership 4 Advanced registration deadline for 2011 APS-IPPC Joint Meeting 20 Applications for Public Policy Fellowship due 31 Online election closes 31 University Recruitment Challenge deadline June 2011 1 2011 OPRO Video Contest submissions due 2 Nominations due for the 2011 Outstanding Volunteer Award 20 Applications due for the Public Policy Board Early Career Internship July 2011 1 2011 Art in Phytopathology submissions due August 2011 1 Seventh Annual Silent Auction items sent to Hawaii by this date

Did you know that posters, display panels, and career brochures are available for career days at your institution? These are a great way to colorfully illustrate your booth, while attracting students to our science. Below is a list of the current resources available on APSnet: Careers in Plant Pathology Brochure—A colorful brochure, excellent for students who want to know more about plant pathology, covering various aspects of a career in plant pathology.

Plant Pathology Storybook—This illustrated storybook describes the origin, relevance, and science of plant pathology and is available for downloading in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Older students like these story books to share with younger students they are mentoring.

Save on every compendium in the store.

“Plants Get Sick Too!” and Plant Detectives Posters—These posters, designed for K-12, are a fun way to introduce the science of plant pathology to our future plant doctors.

What is Plant Pathology or Phytopathology?—Don’t have time to do a complete PowerPoint from scratch? Use this one as a template and personalize with your photos.

These resources and a video presentation on all of the current resources available through OPRO are also online at www.apsnet.org/members/ outreach/opro/Pages/OutreachResources.aspx. n

From Apple to Wheat and more than

45 titles in between.

Through May 17, 2011

#M8548-3/2011

“Plants Get Sick Too!” Display—PDFs of the display, originally used at the 2008 APS Centennial Meeting, are available. The full-size banners are available by request for your institution’s career events, booths, and displays.

www.shopapspress.org Phytopathology News 81

People Student Degrees/Award John Bienapfl, under the guidance of coadvisors Dean Malvick and James Percich, completed his Ph.D. degree in plant pathology at the University of Minnesota in December 2010.

The title of his thesis was “Fusarium and John Bienapfl Phytophthora species associated with root rot of soybean (Glycine max).” Bienapfl has accepted a research associate position working with Yilmaz Balci in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland.

Sarah M. Dossey recently completed the requirements for her M.S. degree in plant pathology at Washington State University under the guidance of Brenda K. Schroeder, assistant professor of plant pathology. Dossey’s thesis was entitled Sarah M. Dossey “The potential role of biofilm in the pathogenicity of Enterobacter cloacae, causal agent of Enterobacter onion bulb decay.”

Kathleen (“Katie”) McKeever successfully completed the requirements for an M.S. degree in plant pathology at Washington State University (WSU).

She conducted her research under the supervision of Kathleen (“Katie”) Gary Chastagner, McKeever professor of plant pathology, located at the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center in Puyallup, WA. McKeever has a B.S. degree in forest health from the State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry (SUNY ESF). Her M.S. thesis research was on infection and colonization of Douglas-fir tissues by the sudden oak death pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum. This project involved molecular, biological, and histological investigations of colonization and sporulation of the pathogen 82 Phytopathology News

on woody stem tissues, bark, and foliage of Douglas-fir. McKeever has been awarded the 2009 Integrated Hardwood Resource Management Student Scholarship, 2009 WSU Puyallup Book Club Scholarship, and the 2010 WSU Pierce County Master Gardener’s Scholarship. She won first-place honors at the WSU Plant Pathology Student Research Expo in June 2010.

Jennifer Blaser, a senior in microbiology at Iowa State University (ISU) from Bettendorf, IA, was selected as one of five students to receive the 2011 Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior Award, grantJennifer Blaser ed on behalf of the ISU Alumni Association. This honor recognizes “outstanding seniors who display high character, outstanding achievement in academics and university/community activities, and promise for continuing these exemplary qualities as alumni.”

Blaser immersed herself in student culture at ISU through academics, leadership, and volunteerism. She has worked for two and a half years as a research assistant in Mark Gleason’s lab in the Department of Plant Pathology, taking leadership on a cooperative project to characterize genetic diversity of sooty blotch and flyspeck (SBFS) fungi from apples in Turkey that were collected by Aziz Karakaya of the University of Ankara. Blaser will be attending the University of Iowa next fall for medical school.

The following students have completed requirements for their graduate degrees from Iowa State University (ISU). Marcos DaSilva and Jose Pablo Soto recently received their M.Sc. degrees in plant pathology under the direction of Gary Munkvold, professor and seed science endowed chair, ISU. DaSilva’s thesis was entitled “Interactions between lesion nematodes and corn pathogens,” and he is currently working for Monsanto Corporation in Uberlandia, Brazil. Soto’s thesis was entitled

Marcos DaSilva

Jose Pablo Soto

“Interactions among viruses, insect vectors, and Phomopsis complex in soybean and effects of integrated management strategies.” Soto is currently working with Munkvold and is planning to begin a Ph.D. program later this fall at another institution.

Carlos Gongora recently completed requirements for the Ph.D. degree in plant pathology from Iowa State University under the direction of Leonor Leandro. Gongora’s thesis was entitled “Epidemiological studies on the Carlos Gongora infection process and symptom expression of soybean sudden death syndrome.” He is currently a senior research associate with Pioneer Hibred International (a Dupont Company) in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Julie Meyer completed requirements for her M.Sc. degree in genetics from Iowa State University, working with USDA-ARS research scientist Roger Wise.

Meyer’s thesis was entitled “Genetic mapping of the Julie Meyer partial restorer of fertility gene, Rf8, in T-cytoplasm maize.”

Lindsey Nielsen recently completed requirements for her Ph.D. degree in microbiology from Iowa State University.

Her thesis, “Novel components of Pseudomonas putida biofilm exopolymeric matrix and a transcriptome Lindsey Nielsen analysis of the effects of osmotic and matric stress,” was completed under the direction of Larry Halverson.

Nielsen is currently doing post-doctoral research with John Danbar at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM.

Collaborations

New Positions

Daniel Hüberli, research officer/adjunct senior lecturer, Murdoch University and Department of Agriculture and Food, Perth, Australia, visited the Department of Plant Pathology at Washington State University, Pullman, on February 17–18. The visit was facilitated by Tim Paulitz, USDA-ARS research plant pathologist and adjunct professor. Hüberli gave a seminar, “Fishing for Phytophthora across Western Australia’s waterways and in-furrow control of root and foliar pathogens in wheat.” He met with faculty, post-doctoral research associates, and graduate students during his visit.

The Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida (UF) has recently expanded with the addition of six new faculty members. In addition, searches for an assistant professor in mycology and for a chair are still ongoing. In March 2009, Ariena H. C. van Bruggen joined the UF faculty as professor and epidemiologist. She has a dual appointment in the Department of Plant Pathology and at the Emerging Pathogens Institute. van Bruggen received her Ph.D. degree under the guidance of Phil Arneson from Cornell University in 1985. She worked for 13 years as a faculty member in plant pathology at the University of California in Davis and then worked for almost 10 years as chair of the Biological Farming Systems Group at Wageningen University in the Netherlands before coming to Florida. In November 2010, Mathews L. Paret joined as an assistant professor in plant pathology at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy, FL. Paret obtained his Ph.D. degree in tropical plant pathology at the University of Hawaii under the guidance of Anne M. Alvarez and was a post-doctoral researcher with Stephen M. Olson at the

Marianne Elliott, Daniel Hüberli, Tim Paulitz, and Ebrahiem Babiker.

Rao Uppalapati, research scientist, Plant Biology Division, the Samuel Roberts Noble Research Foundation, Ardmore, OK, was invited to visit the Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, on March 7–8, 2011. Uppalapati was hosted by Weidong Chen, USDA-ARS research plant pathologist and adjunct professor.

Uppalapati presented a seminar, “Medicago truncatula: A model to improve fungal resistance in crop legumes.” His research is on plant-pathogen interactions using functional genomic and metabolomic tools. He is also working with Kiran Mysore at the Noble Foundation to identify sources of host and nonhost resistance to improve rust resistance in switch grass. During his visit to Washington State, Uppalapati visited and held discussions with Lyndon Porter, research plant pathologist, USDA-ARS in Prosser, WA.

Ariena H. C. van Bruggen

Mathews L. Paret

Nicholas S. Dufault

Erica Goss

Shad Ali

Brantlee Spakes Richter

Weidong Chen, Rao Uppalapati, and Hanu Pappu.

NFREC before joining the UF faculty. In November 2010, Nicholas S. Dufault became an assistant professor and extension pathologist at UF. Dufault received his Ph.D. degree in plant pathology from the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) under the guidance of Erick De Wolf and Scott Isard and was a post-doc at PSU in aerobiology of wheat stem rust under the supervision of Scott Isard and Marcelo Chamecki. In January 2011, Erica Goss started as assistant professor in population genetics at UF. She has a dual appointment in the Department of Plant Pathology and at the Emerging Pathogens Institute. Goss received her Ph.D. degree in ecology and evolution under the guidance of Joy Bergelson from the University of Chicago, IL, in 2005. She held a post-doc position at the USDA ARS in Corvallis, OR, with Nik Grünwald until coming to UF. On March 1, 2011, Shad Ali will start working at UF as an assistant professor/plant pathologist. He will be stationed at Apopka and will conduct research on fungal diseases of ornamental crops. He obtained his Ph.D. degree at Cornell University under the guidance of B. I. Reisch and G. E. Harman on genetic engineering of grapevines. He was a post-doc (with A. S. N. Reddy) and later an assistant professor at Colorado State University, where he studied molecular plant-microbe interactions and pre-mRNA splicing in plants.

In April 2011, Brantlee Spakes Richter will join the Department of Plant Pathology at UF as lecturer, teaching a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses. After working in industry as a plant pathologist and laboratory manager, Richter received her Ph.D. degree under the guidance of Mike Benson and Kelly Ivors from North Carolina State University in 2009.

Since then, she has been a post-doc at Duke University, working with James Clark and Rytas Vilgalys. We welcome all new faculty to UF and look forward to getting a new mycologist and chair in the near future.

Frank Louws has been named director of the National Science Foundation Center for Integrated Pest Management, based at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Louws, a professor of plant pathology, has been Frank Louws a faculty member at NCSU since 1996.

He earned a doctorate from Michigan State University, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Guelph in Canada.

People continued on page 84 Phytopathology News 83

People continued from page 83

Matthew Rouse has joined the USDAARS Cereal Disease Lab on the University of Minnesota, St. Paul campus, as a research plant pathologist. He will be conducting research on hostpathogen interactions in wheat and barley Matthew Rouse rusts, particularly stem rust. Rouse completed his Ph.D. degree at the University of Minnesota, working under the supervision of Yue Jin on “Studies on wheat resistance to Ug99.” He traveled extensively as part of his thesis research, visiting Kenya, Ethiopia, Turkey, and Russia. He holds a master’s degree in plant pathology from Kansas State University, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Oklahoma State University.

The USDA ARS Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory (SMML), Beltsville, MD, is pleased to announce that Jo Anne Crouch has joined our research team. Crouch received her Ph.D. degree from Rutgers University in 2008, where she studied fungi responsible for turfgrass and switchgrass diseases, especially those caused by Colletotrichum. At Rutgers, Crouch developed and utilized several new molecular markers to study populations and species of Colletotrichum associated with grasses, including sequence-based markers, transposon RFLPs, and microsatellites. Her research showed that phylogenetic and genetic variation for the grassassociated Colletotrichum is partitioned according to ecosystem/plant host, documented the presence of several cryptic species, identified RIP mutation and the fingerprint of sexual recombination in populations of the presumed asexual fungus C. cereale, and highlighted the unreliability of ITS-based analyses for Colletotrichum species diagnosis. More recently she completed post-doctoral research at the USDA ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory in St. Paul, MN, working to develop molecular diagnostic tools for emergent rust pathogens of corn and wheat. She is the recipient of 30 competitive awards, scholarships, and fellowships in recognition of her research contributions, including the Mycological Society of America (MSA) North American Mycological Association (NAMA) Memorial Graduate Fellowship, the Crop Science Society of America Mott Scholarship, the Musser International Turfgrass Foundation Award of Excellence, a Land Institute Natural Systems Agriculture Fellowship, and an EPA STAR Graduate Fellowship. She currently serves as an associate editor of Phytopathology. At the SMML, Couch will continue her research on the fungi responsible for anthracnose and rust diseases of grasses. Her lab will focus on the development and implementation of genome-scale approaches and cultureindependent molecular diagnostic tools, with 84 Phytopathology News

the goal of furthering species and population delimitation, and to increase our understanding of the evolution of biological diversity for these important plant pathogen groups.

Award Plant pathologist Dilip Nandwani of the Northern Marianas College Cooperative Research, Extension, and Education Service was recently awarded the Blue Ribbon Extension Communications Award at the Annual Dilip Nandwani American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) Meeting hosted in Corpus Christi, TX. The prestigious award recognizes outstanding contributions of those who have reported on horticultural subjects using different forms of media. Nandwani received the award for his extension publication Banana Guide for the CNMI. The publication, available online at http://libweb.hawaii.edu/ libdept/scitech/agnic/bananas.html, features local varieties of banana, crop propagation, and care, as well as production issues in the CNMI. Presentations Robert Park of the University of Sydney, Australia, visited the Department of Plant Pathology at Washington State University, Pullman, on February 11. He presented a seminar, “Experiences and challenges in cereal rust control in Australia.” Park’s visit was facilitated by Xianming Chen, USDA-ARS research plant pathologist and adjunct professor, and Scot Hulbert, professor. Park is the chair of rust research of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and the director of the Australian Cereal Rust Control Program (ACRCP) at the Plant Breeding Institute, the University of Sydney. The major research interests of his research group include genetics of resistance, pathogenic and molecular variability in rust pathogens, and functional genomics of host-pathogen interactions. He has expertise in all cereal rust with special interest in wheat, leaf and stem rust, leaf rust in barley, and crown rot in oats. Park has conducted Australiawide race analyses for the rust pathogens that

Roland Line, Robert Park, Bob Allan, Xianming Chen, and Scot Hulbert.

cause stem rust in wheat, leaf rust in wheat, leaf rust in barley, and crown rust in oats for the past 20 years. He is also interested in the genetics of resistance to rust pathogens in their respective hosts, and his group works very closely with most cereal breeders in Australia for rust resistance breeding. Park is also actively involved in international rust research, notably via his participation in the global effort to tackle a new race of stem rust, known as Ug99, which has emerged in eastern Africa in recent years.

The Society of Aspiring Plant Pathologists (SAPPs), the graduate student association in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Georgia, hosted Peter Moffett as their invited guest speaker during spring semester 2011. His lecture, entitled “Recognition and elimination of pathogens by plant NB-LRR proteins,” highlighted his career-long work on the structure and function of the NBS-LRR pathogen recognition proteins Rx and GPA2 interacting with Potato virus X and potato pale cyst nematode, Globodera pallida, respectively.

Moffett, an associate professor at the Université de Sherbrooke (Quebec, Canada) unraveled mysteries of how these similar proteins can recognize very diverse plant pathogens. This lecture expanded upon his most recent review “NB-LRRs work a ‘bait and switch’ on pathogens,” suggesting a new two-step model for NB-LRR recognition involving cellular cofactors. During Moffett’s visit, he enjoyed productive meetings with plant pathology faculty, including the prominent retired nematologist Richard Hussey. SAPPs President Sara Thomas and Vice President Thomas Baldwin organized several social events to complement Moffett’s lecture, including dinner with students in downtown Athens, a student potluck lunch, a social hour, and dinner with department faculty and students.

Peter Moffett (seated center) enjoying a potluck lunch with graduate students (in order from left to right) Sara Thomas, Peng Tian, Brijesh Karakkat, Suzette Arcibal, Thomas Ingram, Thomas Baldwin, Tanisha Robinson, Nadia Chacko, Bhabesh Dutta, Marie Vernaiz, and Sydney Everhart.

Retirement After 40 years of service, Dave Long retired from the USDA-ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory located on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota on December 31, 2010.

Long is a native of Surgeon Bay, Dave Long WI, and earned a B.S. degree in plant pathology in1967 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He then went to graduate school at Kansas State University, where he obtained an M.S. degree in plant pathology and worked on epidemiology of wheat rusts with Charles Kramer. Long returned to the upper Midwest in 1970 when he accepted a position at the USDA-ARS Cooperative Cereal Rust Laboratory in St. Paul. He initially worked with Alan Roelfs on the epidemiology of wheat stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis.

His responsibilities gradually evolved as he became responsible for coordinating the annual USDA-ARS cereal rust disease survey. Working with Jack Schafer, in 1978, Long started the annual virulence survey of P. triticina (wheat leaf rust fungus) in the United States. He was also involved with wheat breeding programs throughout the United States as he tested wheat cultivars and germplasm for leaf rust resistance and postulated the leaf rust resistance genes that were present. He also had responsibility for testing barberry accessions from commercial nurseries for resistance to P. graminis. In addition, Long compiled the annual rust loss reports for the United States, and wrote the Cereal Rust Bulletins that would appear regularly from April through July that described the current situation on the development of cereal rust epidemics in the United States.

Long and his wife Pat will be enjoying their retirement at homes in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota and in Door County, WI, with regular winter time trips to warmer climates.

In Memory Eric D. Kerr passed away at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha on October 16, 2009, after a long battle with lung disease.

Eric was born in a small Ozark rural community near Gipsy, MO, Eric D. Kerr on February 21, 1930. He lived on the farm with his father, developing a passion for agriculture that he retained for the rest

of his life. After completing a B.S. degree at the University of Missouri in Columbia in 1951, he enlisted in the United States Navy where he served in the Korean War. After four years of service in the Navy, Eric returned to the University of Missouri, where he completed an M.S. degree in 1960. His passion for agriculture then took him to the University of Nebraska, where he earned a Ph.D. degree in plant pathology working on a project involving nematode pathogens in wheat under the direction of Max Schuster.

Upon graduation in 1967, he worked for a short time as a research plant pathologist with the USDA-ARS (National Center of Pollution Control, Cincinnati, OH). In December 1967, he assumed the position as the first full-time extension plant pathologist at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff, NE, where he remained until his retirement in March 1998.

During his 30-year career in Scottsbluff, Eric contributed substantially to solving the problems of Nebraska producers, particularly in the area of nematology. He established effective nematocidal treatments against sugar beet nematodes, and determined the threshold levels of nematode populations from field soils for justifying economical nematocide treatments. He also studied nematode diseases of corn and the carry-over effects of nematocidal soil treatments in a corn-dry bean-sugar beet rotation. He further developed a forecasting system for predicting optimal time periods for applying fungicides for Cercospora leaf spot control in sugar beets (which is still in use today). Eric’s primary motivation was helping people, and his easy-going personality led to fruitful collaborations among faculty in Scottsbluff and also with various industry personnel. This is further illustrated by his regular collaborations with numerous Lincolnbased faculty in the biological control of Rhizoctonia root rot in sugar beets, and control of white mold, rust, and bacterial diseases of dry beans.

After moving to Western Nebraska, Eric met Joyce Marie Drury, whom he married in 1980. He not only found the love of his life but became the father of her two daughters, Robin and Jole, who he loved and raised as his own. Eric was a passionate man who took great pride in his family and professional career. He completed all projects including hobbies with perfection. In fact, even after retiring, Eric still processed soil samples in the basement of his home, identifying and estimating populations of cyst nematodes as a service for sugar beet producers. He was preceded in death by his wife Joyce Marie (Drury) Kerr. Eric is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Robin and Douglas Clark and their 4 children (Cassandra, Mariah, Jacob, and Molly); and daughter and son-in-law, Jole and David Sandblom.

Donald H. Smith, a devoted husband, loving father, playful grandfather, longtime resident of Yoakum, TX, and current resident of Dallas, TX, passed away at age 73 on February 18, 2011.

Don was born in Nuremberg, PA, on June 20, 1937, to William Edgar and Mable Pearl Smith. Don attended Nuremberg High School, where he enjoyed his friends and playing basketball. He married Elsie Roberta Oliver (Bobbie) on June 7, 1958.

Donald H. Smith

Don graduated from East Stroudsburg State College the following year and then attended Pennsylvania State University where he earned both a master’s degree (1962) and a Ph.D. degree in plant pathology in 1966. His three children, Donna, Debbie, and Scot, were born during that time. He began his career with a teaching fellowship at Albion College in Michigan. He then accepted an assistant professor position in Griffin, GA, with the University of Georgia. Don and his family moved to Yoakum, TX, when he was hired by Texas A&M University in 1973 to work as a full professor at the Texas Agriculture Experiment Station until his retirement in 1990. Following retirement, Don, with his wife Bobbie, moved to Hyderabad, India, to work with ICRASAT from 1990 to 1992. Upon returning to the United States they settled in Dallas and were active members of Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Don Smith will be forever remembered for his friendly and helpful nature, his volunteerism, many enjoyable years working with the American Peanut Research and Education Society (APRES), his character and highest integrity, his intellect and love of words, his passion for travel as he visited all seven continents, and his devotion to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Don is survived by his wife, Bobbie, who currently resides in Dallas; his three children, Donna Faircloth of New York City, Debbie Wolf of Greenwich, CT, and Scot Smith of Dallas, TX; his five grandchildren (Isabella, Madeline, Evan, Sarah, and Matthew); and his sister Lucy Lundin in Pennsylvania.

A funeral service and memorial was held on February 23 at Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Memorial gifts in remembrance of Don Smith may be made to Our Savior Lutheran Church, 411 N Town East Blvd., Mesquite, TX 75150 U.S.A.

People continued on page 86 Phytopathology News 85

People continued from page 85

Those who had the good fortune to meet Luigi Chiarappa will never forget his humor and excitement for life, his ability to inspire and motivate others around him, and his dedication to family, humanity, and the profession Luigi Chiarappa of plant pathology.

Luigi passed away on September 30, 2010, in California, after a long illness. He is sincerely missed by all who knew him, especially his wife Nicla, who was his constant companion and caregiver in recent years, his three daughters Victoria, Marina, and Cynthia, and extended family.

Luigi was born and raised in Italy during the period leading up to WWII. He obtained a B.S. degree in agronomy in 1950, married his wife Nicla in 1951, and together they immigrated to the United States in 1952. Life in the “new world” began as a hired hand on a chicken farm in Vermont. From there, Luigi and Nicla moved to Delano, CA, to work as an assistant entomologist with the Di Giorgio Fruit Company. The work was hard and they were housed in a converted boxcar—both of which increased the challenge of “making it” in America. At the Di Giorgio Company, Luigi met William B. Hewitt, a professor at the University of California-Davis (UC Davis), a plant pathologist, and a world authority on grape diseases, who invited Luigi to apply to UC Davis to pursue a Ph.D. degree in plant pathology.

Luigi studied at UC Davis for a Ph.D. degree, graduating in a record time of two years and eight months in 1957. His dissertation research was on the black measles disease of grape vines, a disease of the 1950s that is now being rediscovered in Europe.

Following the completion of his Ph.D. degree, Luigi returned to the Di Giorgio Company

as a plant pathologist and continued there for several years until he accepted an offer from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome in 1962. His achievements at FAO as a plant pathologist specializing in tropical diseases were substantial.

His research took him to many countries and in contact with an imposing array of diseases as well as scientific collaborators. Luigi promoted programs to select resistant materials within local cultivars and in training farmers to use cultural approaches to reduce diseases. Based on his scientific successes and his ability to mobilize scientists and farmers to collaborate on local problems, he was appointed the chief of plant protection service for all of FAO. Highlights of Luigi’s work at FAO included programs for control for coconut lethal yellowing; promotion of durable resistance breeding programs in staple crops, such as potatoes; establishment of the International Program on Horizontal Resistance; and developing programs for the safe movement and protection of valuable germplasm.

Perhaps the project with the most sustained impact that Luigi conceived, developed, and obtained funding for was the development of an international, coordinated network for the production, testing, and distribution of virusfree rootstocks for fruit trees that was ultimately funded by both UNDP and FAO. Chiarappa retired from FAO after 23 years of dedicated and widely appreciated service to international agriculture1. Luigi and Nicla, a full partner in all of his career and life activities, returned to Davis (and then Livermore), CA, in retirement. We express the view of many colleagues and friends in reflection that Luigi Chiarappa was an exceptional person, a consummate global international plant pathologist, and colleague who will be missed greatly by all whose paths he crossed.

1 Chiarappa, L. and N. 1999. Two immigrants from Italy. GG Press, El Macero, CA, U.S.A.

Submission prepared by David Gilchrist, professor of plant pathology, University of California-Davis, and Wallace Cowling, Winthrop professor, the University of Western Australia. n

Let Your Creativity Shine!

Entries are due July 1, 2011, for the Art in Phytopathology Contest, open to all APS members. For entry information, visit www.apsnet.org/members/apsleadership/comm/ artinphytopathology.aspx or e-mail questions to the Graduate Student Committee chair, Kestrel Lannon, at krlannon@ncsu.edu.

86 Phytopathology News

Classified Classified Policy You can process your job listing at www.apsnet.org/careers/jobcenter. Your posting will be live within three to five business days and will remain on the website for up to three months or until a listed closing date, at which point it will drop off the listing. Please note: Your online job listing will be edited by newsletter staff to a maximum of 200 words for the print listing in Phytopathology News.

Fees for posting online are $25 member/$50 nonmember for graduate or post-doc positions and $200 member/$250 nonmember for all other positions. To have your job listing also included in Phytopathology News, simply select the option on the online form (there is an additional $55 fee). If you have any questions, contact the APS Placement Coordinator (apsplacement@scisoc.org).

Director of Agricultural Operations and Cooperative Extension Specialist The University of California-Riverside (UCR) College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) is recruiting for a director of agricultural operations as an 11-month academic administrator (70%) and cooperative extension (CE) specialist (30%). The director (academic administrator) will hold a careertrack position in the California Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension, with a CE appointment in one of several CNAS departments with CE programs, according to area of expertise. The director will administer the budget for the two UCR experimental farms (1,050 acres) and coordinate and manage the field- and greenhouse-based operations for research/extension activities. As CE specialist, the appointee will provide regional/statewide leadership in extension activities in their area of expertise through web-based media, workshops/ conferences, and presentations to academics/ agricultural clientele. The appointee will be expected to develop a grant-funded research program in an area such as invasive pests, diseases, or weeds; sustainable subtropical horticulture, vegetable crop production, or urban agriculture; or water quality. A Ph.D. degree and experience in administration/ research/extension required. Interested individuals should send CV, transcripts, statement of research interests, reprints, manuscripts in press, and arrange for four letters of recommendation to be sent to: Chair, Agricultural Operations Search Committee, c/o Marie Lanathoua-Good, Academic Personnel Services Unit, College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, University of California, Batchelor Hall 1145, Riverside, CA 92521-0127 U.S.A. This position is open until filled. n

APS Journal Articles Phytopathology May 2011, Volume 101, Number 5 Phenological and Phytochemical Changes Correlate with Differential Interactions of Verticillium dahliae with Broccoli and Cauliflower.

Multiple Treatment Meta-Analysis of Products Evaluated for Control of Fire Blight in the Eastern United States.

Models for Predicting Potential Yield Loss of Wheat Caused by Stripe Rust in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

Impact of Swiss Needle-Cast on Growth of Douglas-Fir. Identification of a Second Asian Soybean Rust Resistance Gene in Hyuuga Soybean.

Multigenic System Controlling Viral Systemic Infection Determined by the Interactions Between Cucumber mosaic virus Genes and Quantitative Trait Loci of Soybean Cultivars.

Molecular Mapping of the New Blast Resistance Genes Pi47 and Pi48 in the Durably Resistant Local Rice Cultivar Xiangzi 3150.

Genetic and Morphological Evidence that Phoma sclerotioides, Causal Agent of Brown Root Rot of Alfalfa, Is Composed of a Species Complex.

Genetic Variation and Variation in Aggressiveness to Native and Exotic Hosts Among Brazilian Populations of Ceratocystis fimbriata.

Molecular Epidemiology of Plum pox virus in Japan.

Analysis of the Epitope Structure of Plum pox virus Coat Protein.

Molecular, Ultrastructural, and Biological Characterization of Pennsylvania Isolates of Plum pox virus.

Plant Disease May 2011, Volume 95, Number 5 Management of Botrytis Leaf Blight of Onion: The Quebec Experience of 20 Years of Continual Improvement.

Identification of a New Waitea circinata Variety Causing Basal Leaf Blight of Seashore Paspalum.

Virulence and Molecular Genotyping Studies of Sporisorium reilianum Isolates in Sorghum.

Effects of Virus Infection on Susceptibility of Soybean Plants to Phomopsis longicolla.

Microbial Profiling of Cultural Systems for Suppression of Phytophthora Root Rot in Fraser Fir. Influence of Isolation Method on Recovery of Pythium Species from Forest Nursery Soils in Oregon and Washington.

Effects of Integrating Cultivar Resistance and Fungicide Application on Fusarium Head Blight and Deoxynivalenol in Winter Wheat.

A Degree-Day Model for the Latent Period of Stagonospora nodorum Blotch in Winter Wheat.

Management of Verticillium Wilt of Potato with Disease-Suppressive Green Manures and as Affected by Previous Cropping History.

Characterizing Resistance to Phakopsora pachyrhizi in Soybean.

Identification of New Sources of Resistance in Winter Wheat to Multiple Strains of Xanthomonas translucens pv. undulosa.

Sensitive and Specific Detection of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae by Real-Time Bio-PCR Using Pathovar-Specific Primers Based on an rhs Family Gene.

Cultivar Effects on the Expression of Induced Resistance in Spring Barley.

Tillage, Crop Rotation, and Hybrid Effects on Residue and Corn Anthracnose Occurrence in Wisconsin.

First Report of a New Wheat Leaf Rust (Puccinia triticina) Race with Virulence for Lr12, 13, and 37 in South Africa.

First Report of Powdery Mildew Caused by Erysiphe euonymi-japonici on Euonymus japonicus in Central China.

First Report of Tomato spotted wilt virus on Tobacco in Campania, Italy.

First Report of Cane Blight on Blackberry Caused by Diaporthe eres in Croatia.

First Report of Botrytis cinerea Causing Gray Mold of Tobacco in Guizhou Province of China.

Shoot Blight Caused by Sirococcus tsugae on Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) in Georgia.

First Report of Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus on Sesame in Paraguay.

Occurrence of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1 in Two Ornamental Grapevine Cultivars in Washington State.

Identification of Leptosphaeria maculans Pathogenicity Group 4 Causing Blackleg on Winter Canola in Oklahoma.

First Report of Pythium sterilum Causing Root Rot of Blueberry in the United States.

First Report of Bacterial Wilt in Mandevilla (= Dipladenia) splendens ‘Red Riding Hood’ in the United States Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum Biovar 3.

First Report of Phaeoacremonium krajdenii Causing Petri Disease of Grapevine in Spain.

First Report of Hop stunt viroid in Greenhouse Cucumber in Finland.

First Report of Grapevine Trunk Disease Caused

by Botryosphaeria obtusa in China.

First Report of Basal Stem Rot and Foliar Blight Caused by Pythium sylvaticum on Miscanthus sinensis in Illinois.

First Report of Flyspeck Caused by Zygophiala wisconsinensis on Sweet Persimmon Fruit in Korea.

First Report of Pepper mottle virus in Bell Pepper in Taiwan.

First Report of Grapevine yellow speckle viroid 1 and Hop stunt viroid in Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) in New Zealand.

A New Phytophthora sp. Causing Root and Collar Rot on Pistacia lentiscus in Italy.

First Report of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) Leaf Blight Caused by Phytophthora colocasiae in Nigeria.

First Report of Gliocephalotrichum bulbilium Causing Cranberry Fruit Rot in New Jersey and Massachusetts.

First Report of Seiridium unicorne Causing Bark Cankers on a Monterey Cypress in California.

Potato virus M in Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) in New York State.

MPMI May 2011, Volume 24, Number 5 Identification and Characterization of 2 -Deoxyuridine from the Supernatant of Conidial Suspensions of Rice Blast Fungus as an Infection-Promoting Factor in Rice Plants.

The Plant Growth–Promoting Rhizobacterium Bacillus cereus AR156 Induces Systemic Resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana by Simultaneously Activating Salicylate- and Jasmonate/Ethylene-Dependent Signaling Pathways.

454 Genome Sequencing of Pseudoperonospora cubensis Reveals Effector Proteins with a QXLR Translocation Motif.

Development of a Host-Induced RNAi System in the Wheat Stripe Rust Fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici.

Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of the Interaction Between the Endophytic Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacterium Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus and Sugarcane.

The HrpN Effector of Erwinia amylovora, Which Is Involved in Type III Translocation, Contributes Directly or Indirectly to Callose Elicitation on Apple Leaves.

Bacterial Effector HopF2 Suppresses Arabidopsis Innate Immunity at the Plasma Membrane.

Identification of New Candidate Pathogenicity Factors in the Xylem-Invading Pathogen Xanthomonas albilineans by Transposon Mutagenesis.

Inoculation- and Nitrate-Induced CLE Peptides of Soybean Control NARK-Dependent Nodule Formation.

Preventing Fusarium Head Blight of Wheat and Cob Rot of Maize by Inhibition of Fungal Deoxyhypusine Synthase.

Plant Management Network www.plantmanagementnetwork.org Plant Health Progress Root Rot of Dry Edible Bean Caused by Fusarium graminearum.

Evaluation of Phosphonate Treatments for Control of Phytophthora Crown Rot of Walnut. n

Phytopathology News 87

PERIODICALS

News The American Phytopathological Society 3340 Pilot Knob Road St. Paul, MN 55121 United States of America

Calendar of Events

APS Sponsored Events June 2011 15-17 — APS North Central Division Meeting. Omaha, NE. www.apsnet.org/ members/divisions/nc

July 2011 12-14 — 43rd Annual Meeting of the American Peanut Research and Education Society.

San Antonio, TX. ta-baughman@tamu.edu 17-21 — Plant Canada 2011—Plant Adaptation to Environmental Change. Halifax, Nova Scotia. http://plantcanada2011.ca

August 2011 6-10 — APS-IPPC Joint Meeting.

Honolulu, HI. www.apsnet.org/meet

18-21 — VII Latin American Mycological Congress. San Jose, Costa Rica. www.almic.org

6-10 — APS Pacific Division Meeting.

Honolulu, HI. www.apsnet.org/members/ divisions/pac

23-30 — XVIII International Botanical Congress. Melbourne, Australia. www.ibc2011.com

October 2011 12-14 — APS Northeastern Division Meeting. New Brunswick, NJ. www.apsnet.org/members/divisions/ne

24-29 — The 18th Triennial Conference of the European Association for Potato Research.

Oulu, Finland. www.eapr2011.com

Upcoming APS Annual Meetings August 4-8, 2012 — Providence, RI. August 10-14, 2013 — Austin, TX. August 9-13, 2014 — Minneapolis, MN.

31-August 5 — Disease and Insect Resistance in Forest Trees—Fourth International Workshop on the Genetics of Host-Parasite Interactions in Forestry. Eugene, OR. http://ucanr.org/sites/ tree_resistance_2011conference August 2011 2-6 — XV Intl. Congress on MPMI. Kyoto, Japan. http://mpmi2011.umin.jp

September 2011 5-7 — Resistance 2011. Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom. bart.fraaije@bbsrc.ac.uk 11-14 — 8th International Symposium on Mycosphaerella and Stagonospora Diseases of Cereals. Mexico City, Mexico. http://conferences. cimmyt.org/en/home-septoria-conference October 2011 3-4 — The 2011 International Spinach Conference. Amsterdam, the Netherlands. http://spinach.uark.edu 16-19 — The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America 2011 Annual Meeting: Fundamental for Life: Soil, Crop, & Environmental Sciences. San Antonio, TX. www.soils.org/meetings April 2012 22-26 — Ascochyta 2012: The 3rd International Ascochyta Workshop. Córdoba, Spain. www.ascochyta.org

May 2011 23-28 — 4th International Workshop for Phytophthora, Pythium, and Related Genera: Systematics (Taxonomy, Nomenclature, Phylogeny), Detection, Databases, Ecology.

College Park, MD. gloria.abad@aphis.usda.gov

14-19 — 44° Brazilian Congress of Plant Pathology. Bento Gonçalves, RS, Brazil. www.fito2011.com.br

May 2012 21-25 — 4th International Workshop for Phytophthora, Pythium, and Phytopythium.

University of Maryland, College Park, MD. www.psla.umd.edu/faculty/Balci/workshop2011/ index.cfm

21-24 — Second Asian PGPR Conference.

Beijing, China. www.ag.auburn.edu/auxiliary/ asianpgpr/meetings/2011

August 2013 25-30 — 10th International Congress of Plant Pathology. Beijing, China. www.icppbj2013.org n

June 2011 1-3 — Second Argentine Congress of Plant Pathology. Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. www.aafitopatologos.com.ar

25-26 — Third International Scientific Seminar of Plant Pathology. University of Trujillo, Trujillo, Perú. www.facbio.unitru.edu.pe

Other Upcoming Events

7-9 — Climate Change and the Implications for Plant Science Symposium. University of Guelph, Canada. www.plantscience.open.uoguelph.ca

For the most current listing go to www.apsnet.org/meetings/meetingcalendar.