Student Featured in Phytopathology News

Dipak Sharma Poudyal, PhD student in our department was featured in the January issue of the Phytopathology News, reflecting his thoughts on what attracted him to graduate study in plant pathology. Dipak is pursuing his PhD under Dr. Xianming Chen’s supervision. For full story, click here. 

UBI Health News Feature

Flame retardants on Christmas trees: Dr. Gary Chastagner's research findings on Christmas trees was cited on UPI.com. For the full story, click here.

Employee Recognition Ceremony

Congratulations to the following department personnel for their dedicated service to the department and the university!
They were recognized by President Floyd at the annual Employee Recognition Ceremony in CUB on December 10, 2008.

Dr. Jack Rogers 45 years
Mr. Bill Howell 35 years
Dr. Gary Chastagner 30 years
Dr. Tim Murray 25 years
Ms. Carol McKinney 10 years

Visitor from International Institute of Tropical Agriculture

Dr. P. Lava Kumar, Virologist, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria, visited Dr. Naidu Rayapati’s lab at Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Prosser, for a period of three weeks, beginning December 1, 2008. He carried out collaborative research on diagnostics and molecular diversity of cassava mosaic begomoviruses prevailing in West Africa funded by USAID-linkage grant between Washington State University and IITA.

New Associate Editor for European Journal of Plant Pathology

Dr. Tim Murray has accepted an invitation to join the Editorial Board of the European Journal of Plant Pathology as an Associate Editor beginning January 2009.

Dr. Tim Murray to Lead National Recovery Plan for a Destructive Disease of Wheat

A destructive race of wheat stem rust, referred to as Ug99, could threaten the US wheat crop in the near future.  The name, Ug99, comes from Uganda where it was first described and shown to seriously impact wheat production.  To find out more about Ug99, click here. Dr. Tim Murray, professor of plant pathology in Pullman and an expert on wheat diseases will be leading this multi-state and multi-agency effort to prepare a recovery plan should Ug99 be introduced to the U.S.  To address this threat, an international conference, The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative, is being organized in Mexico by Nobel Laureate, Norman Borlaug, in March 2009.   Dr. Murray has been invited to participate in this conference. This conference brings together the world’s experts on wheat rusts to discuss all aspects of the current state of knowledge of Ug99.

Dr. Scot Hulbert, R. James Cook Endowed Chair in Cropping Systems Pathology in the department, and a world-renowned researcher on plant-pathogen interactions, and Dr. Xianming Chen, Research Geneticist with USDA-ARS and an adjunct professor in the Plant Pathology Department will also be representing WSU at this conference.  

WSU Today Features

Dr. Jack Rogers, Professor of Plant Pathology, is featured on the front page of the December 5th issue of WSUToday . The article highlights his 45 years of service to WSU in various roles as a faculty member, department chair, and his exemplary contributions to the science of mycology and making our department a center of excellence in mycological research.  Dr. Rogers will be recognized  by President Floyd for his service to WSU during the WSU Employee Recognition Ceremony at CUB on December 10. The event begins at 3:30 pm.  For the full article, click here.

Congratulations, Dr. Rogers!

Review Makes Top Ten

Dr. Dean Glawe’s review on powdery mildews, “The Powdery Mildews: A Review of the World's Most Familiar (Yet Poorly Known) Plant Pathogens” in this year’s Annual Review of Phytopathology is among the top ten in Volume 46 to be accessed on the Annual Review of Phytopathology website.

Congratulations Dr. Glawe!

New Chair Appointed

Dr. Hanu Pappu assumed the position of Chair of the Department of Plant Pathology beginning December 2. Dr. Pappu is succeeding Dr. Timothy Murray, who served 8 years as the department Chair. Congratulations to Dr. Pappu!

The Department says a collective big THANK YOU to Dr. Murray for his leadership and service as the Chair for the last eight years.

Visitor from National Research Center for Grapes

Dr. Sanjay D. Sawant, Principal Scientist (Plant Pathology), National Research Center for Grapes, Pune, India, visited Dr. Naidu Rayapati’s lab at Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Prosser, for a period of four weeks beginning October 13, 2008, to gain hands-on experience in field- and lab-based diagnosis of virus diseases of wine grapes. In addition, Dr. Sawant visited several vineyards and wineries and interacted with other faculty and industry stakeholders to learn various aspects of viticulture and enology in Eastern Washington.

Wiley Graduate Student Research Exposition

Sahar Eid (PhD student with Dr. Hanu Pappu), Yu-Hsuan Lin (PhD student with Dr. Hanu Pappu), and Hongyan Sheng (PhD student with Dr. Tim Murray) presented posters on their ongoing research at the Wiley Graduate Student Research Exposition held in the Senior Ballroom of the Compton Union Building, Pullman campus on November 13, 2008. The Exposition is an annual event showcasing graduate student research and is organized by the WSU Graduate and Professional Students Association. Dr. Lori Carris served as one of the judges.

Nematology Workshop

In the end of October, 2008, a Nematology workshop was organized in WSU-IAREC Prosser by Ekaterini Riga. The workshop consisted of two sessions. The morning session speakers, Dennis Johnson (WSU-Pullman), Phil Hamm (OSU), and Hassan Mojtahedi (USDA-ARS, Prosser) addressed biology and control methods of plant parasitic nematodes of main economic importance of PNW potatoes. The afternoon session was dedicated to general biology and updates of the quarantine nematodes, Potato Cyst Nematodes. The afternoon session was lead by Ekaterini Riga (WSU-Prosser) who presented information on the biology of the Potato Cysts nematode, followed by presentations from Eoin Davis (APHIS, ID), Tom Wessels (WSDA, WA), Bob Zemetra (UI, ID), Roy Navarre (USDA-ARS, WA), and G. Parra (USDA-APHIS-PPQ, NC).

New Senior Editor of Phytopathology

Dr. Tobin Peever, Associate Professor, will assume the position of a Senior Editor of Phytopathology (http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/loi/phyto) beginning January 2009. Phytopathology, published by the American Phytopathological Society, is one of the world’s leading scientific journals that publishes articles on fundamental research in plant pathology.  Congratulations, Dr. Peever!

New to the Web

Check out our latest page! We have added a Student Life section to our web site. Here you can see how much fun our students have outside the classroom and labs!

Festschrift Fest

A celebration for Dr. Jack Rogers was held on Monday, October 20. The online mycology journal North American Fungi published a Festschrift honoring Dr. Rogers for his many years of service to Washington State University and to the science of mycology. Thank you to Dr. Rogers for his service and congratulations!

More photos, click here.

Dr. Rogers was also featured in WSU Today . For the full story, click here.

USDA's 2008 Outreach, Diversity annd Equal Opportunity Award

Dr. Tim Paulitz, Adjunct Professor of Plant Pathology, and USDA-ARS Research Plant Pathologist received the USDA's 2008 Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity Award for both the regional (Pacific West Area) and national levels. This is in recognition of his outreach efforts to Native American elementary, middle, and high school students, to get them interested in science and science careers. 

These activities are part of an ongoing effort by The USDA-ARS Root Disease and Biological Control Research Unit, called "Pumping Up the Science and Math Pipeline" -a program to recruit under-represented groups into science careers and "Camp SkWant" -  a summer science camp for Native students.

Congratulations, Dr. Paulitz!

WSU Today Feature

Researchers at WSU were among the most successful nationwide in winning competitive grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new Specialty Crop Research Initiative. Dr. Debra Inglis and Dr. Hanu Pappu both received grant funding through this program. Full Story

Distinguished Lecture Series

Dr. Barbara Valent, Distinguished Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, visited the department as the student invited guest speaker for the Distinguished Lecture Series and presented “Roles for Plasmodesmata and ‘Blast Interfacial Complexes’ during Biotrophic Invasion of Rice Cells by the Blast Fungus.” The event was co-sponsored by WSU Center for Integrated Biotechnology. More photo, click here.

STA Laboratories Visits

Vikki Hallowell, Mycology Program Leader for STA Laboratories, Inc. in Longmont, CO visited Dr. Lindsey du Toit's vegetable seed pathology program at the WSU Mount Vernon NWREC on 17-18 September 2008. Vikki spent two days learning how to test spinach seed for necrotrophic fungi using a freeze-blotter seed health assay developed by Lindsey's program.

OSU Visitors

Dr. Ken Johnson and Todd Temple, from the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University, visited Dr. Lindsey du Toit and Mike Derie in the vegetable seed pathology program at the WSU Mount Vernon NWREC on 8-9 September 2008. Ken, Lindsey, Todd and Mike are working on a collaborative project on the seedborne carrot pathogen Xanthomonas hortorum pv. carotae. The research project is funded by the California Fresh Carrot Advisory Board.

Plant Virus and Vector Research Receives $1.3 million Competitive Grant from USDA

Dr. Hanu Pappu is part of the team of investigators from WSU, University of Idaho and USDA to be awarded a $1.3 million competitive grant from the USDA Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Grants Program headed by Dr. Sanford Eigenbrode, Professor and Chair of Entomology, U of I. Congratulations!

Back to School Picnic

Our annual fall picnic was held at Sunnyside Park, hosted by Fun Committee members Hanu Pappu, Brenda Schroeder, Ian Saltzman, Sahar Eid, Renuka Kithul Pelage, Youn-Sig Kwak, Lee Hadwiger, and Hongyan Sheng.

More photos, click here.

Special Guest Seminar

Dr. Roberto Miglino, Plant Virologist and Project Leader for Virus Laboratory at the Dutch Bulb Inspection Service, Lisse, The Netherlands, gave a special seminar on September 10.  He described the Research, Development and Service activities of his lab with emphasis on viruses of ornamental bulbs. Dr. Miglino is hosted by Dr. Hanu Pappu.

CAHNRS Fall Festival

The CAHNRS Fall Festival was held on Sept. 9, from 4 - 6 p.m. at Spillman Plaza located between Johnson and Hulbert Halls.  This was a chance to meet other students, professors and advisors, and the deans of the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences.  There were department displays and club exhibits.  Jeremiah Dung and Ian Saltzman along with other graduate students were the representatives for the Department of Plant Pathology and fielded questions from undergraduates and others about the department, graduate opportunities and careers in Plant Pathology.

More photos, click here.

On Solid Ground Feature

Research conducted by Dr. Hanu Pappu on protecting legumes from viral epidemics was featured in the September 10 issue of CAHNRS On Solid Ground.

Conference Room Open House

The Fun Committee started their “First Friday” events for the year with a Conference Room Open House.  A tremendous amount of effort and energy has gone into getting the conference room up and running.  It is now a model for others on campus.  This get together was to showcase our conference room and thank those involved for all of their hard work!!

More photos, click here.

On Solid Ground Feature

Research conducted by Tri Asmira Damayanti, a collaborator and visitor in Dr. Naidu Rayapati's laboratory, that lead to the discovery of a new virus was featured in the September 3 issue of CAHNRS On Solid Ground.

Farewell to Martin Chilvers

On August 29 the department said farewell to Martin Chilvers, Research Associate with Dr. Tobin Peever. Thank you Martin for all your hard work and best of luck to you in the future! More photos, click here.

Festschrift in Honor of Jack Rogers

The online mycology journal North American Fungi published a Festschrift honoring Dr. Jack Rogers for his many years of service to Washington State University and to the science of mycology. 

A Festschrift is a traditional means of honoring distinguished academics, typically consisting of a collection of papers published on the occasion of a special birthday or anniversary.  In this case, the Festschrift was published to mark Professor Rogers’s 45th anniversary at Washington State University, and includes papers contributed by an international group of colleagues, friends and former students. Given Professor Rogers’s broad interests in mycology it was satisfying to see the contributed papers represent a wide range of topics ranging from descriptions of new taxa, to historical and societal aspects of fungi, to morphology and biogeography.

Most-Read articles in Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions

The following review article co-authored by Dr. Naidu Rayapati is currently ranked the third most-read article published in the journal Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (MPMI) that has an impact factor of 4.275.

Michael M. Goodin, David Zaitlin, Rayapati A. Naidu, and Steven A. Lommel. “Nicotiana benthamiana: Its History and Future as a Model for Plant–Pathogen Interactions” (MPMI August 2008, Volume 21, Number 8, Pages 1015-1026; DOI:10.1094/MPMI-21-8-1015)

Student Visits Faculty

Plant pathology graduate student Renuka Attanayake recently spent several days working in the laboratory of Dean Glawe at the University of Washington in Seattle.  The photo shows Tess Blackwelder (Research Associate with Dr. Glawe), Renuka, and Lydia Putnicki (M.S. student working on powdery mildew systematics at UW), during a brief pause in the action.  Earlier this year Lydia and fellow UW student, Josh Birkebak, spent a week working in George Vandemark’s laboratory in Pullman.

Faculty Visits Slovenia

Dr. Hanu Pappu gave a keynote, invited lecture on tospoviruses in vegetables with special reference to Iris yellow spot virus in onion at the 3rd meeting of the International Working Group on Legume and Vegetable Viruses. The group met in Ljubljana, Slovenia, August 20-23, 2008. Dr. Pappu was elected Secretary of this group.

Farewell to Monika Such

The Schroeder lab held a lab lunch to say ‘Good Bye’ to Monika Such.  Monika was a WSU graduate who was working fulltime in the laboratory.  She leaves for another position in the Kahn Laboratory in the Institute of Biological Chemistry.  Monika received a Plant Pathology tee shirt as a special thank you and to remind her of all the wonderful times in the Schroeder Laboratory.

Pictured in the photo from left to right Jeremiah Dung, Jenny Anderson, Monika Such, Sarah Dossey and Brenda Schroeder.  

Visitor

Dr. Roberto Miglino, Plant Virologist with Bloembollenkeuringsdienst (BKD; Dutch Bulb Inspection Service), Lisse, The Netherlands, is visiting Dr. Hanu Pappu. His visit is part of an ongoing collaboration between Ton van Schadewijk, Head of the Virology Laboratory at BKD and Hanu Pappu.

Mudgee Guardian Feature

On August 1 the Mudgee Guardian (Australia) reported on a wine grape-growing seminar presented by WSU plant pathologist Dr. Gary Grove. For the full story, click here.

Faculty Book Signing at APS Centennial Meeting

Dr. Frank Dugan, Research Plant Pathologist and Adjunct Professor of Plant Pathology, and the author of "Fungi in the Ancient World: How Mushrooms, Mildews, Molds, and Yeast Shaped the Early Civilizations of Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Near East" published by the APS Press, was part of t he book signing event at the APS Centennial meeting, Minneapolis, MN. Dr. Dugan's book was on the APS Centennial Meeting’s Top 10 Best Seller's list! Congratulations, Dr. Dugan!

For photos of the signing, click here (Photo courtesy, Karen Cummings, APS)

News from the APS Centennial Meeting

A strong contingent of graduate students represented the department at the Centennial Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society, July 26-30, 2008 in Minneapolis, MN.  From left to right (with their major professors in parentheses): Dipak Sharma (Xianming Chen), Laura Costadone (Gary Grove), Jason Ingram (Dennis Johnson), Olufemi Alabi (Rayapati Naidu), Renuka Attanayake (Weidong Chen), Sahar Eid (Hanu Pappu), and Peng Cheng (Xianming Chen). Not pictured: Jeremiah Dung (Dennis Johnson and Brenda Schroeder), Youn-sig Kwak (David Weller) and Evans Njambere (Weidong Chen). The students made oral and poster presentations, and moderated technical sessions at the meeting.

Besides doing great plant pathology research, our students were fabulous on the dance floor too! For photos, click here.

Naidu Rayapati was elected Vice-Chair (2009) and Chair (2010) of the Virology Committee at the 2008 Centennial American Phytopathological Society annual meeting. His interview was also featured in the DVD “APS Oral Histories: Stories and comments from APS members” prepared by Darin Eastburn.

Olufemi J. Alabi, graduate student of Naidu Rayapati, was awarded Honorable Mention certificate at the 8th I.E. Melhus Graduate Student Symposium.

Faculty Visits Denmark

Dr. Lindsey du Toit, vegetable seed pathologist, was invited to Denmark by Dr. Birte Boelt from Aarhus University, to participate in a spinach seed crop field day and to discuss spinach seed crop disease mangement and research with researchers from Aarhus University, spinach seed growers, and seed company personnel. Dr. du Toit was in Denmark from June 30th to July 6th of 2008. During her time in Denmark, she had the opportunity to visit the Danish Seed Health Centre for Developing Countries, located in Copenhagen, which is internationally recognized for extensive work on seed pathology in developing countries. As part of the spinach field day at the Flakkebjerg Research Center of Aarhus University on July 2nd, Dr. du Toit gave a presentation  titled 'Integrated Management of Diseases in Spinach Seed Crops in Washington State". For photos, click here.

APS Award Winner

Jeremiah Dung, graduate student with Dr. Dennis Johnson, received 3rd place in the student paper competition for his paper entitled “Relative roles of tuber and soil-borne inoculum in the development of Verticillium wilt in potato” at the APS Pacific Division meeting held in Jackson, WY, June 24-27.

Congratulations Jeremiah!

Meet Your New Co-worker

Sudeep Bag

Sudeep Bag joined Dr. Hanu Pappu's laboratory as a research associate in June 2008. He comes from New Delhi, India where he did his PhD work at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. Sudeep is working biological and molecular aspects of tospoviruses. 

Statewide Faculty Meeting:

Plant Pathology faculty from across the state gathered in Richland, Washington, for the biennial statewide faculty meeting and research exposition on June 18 and 19. This is an opportunity to meet in person and discuss the department's teaching, research, and extension programs. The Research Exposition is an informal social event designed around posters highlighting current research activities, which gives everyone an opportunity to see the wide range of research projects underway throughout the state. For photos, click here.

Congratulations to Evans Njambere, Peng Cheng, and Jeremiah Dung for winning first, second, and third prizes, respectively in the Graduate Student Poster Competition.

Visitor

Melanie Kalischuk from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Lethbridge Research Station visited Dr. Hanu Pappu on June 16th.

Pictured from left: Melanie with Keri Druffel, Research Associate and PhD students, Sahar Eid and Yu-Hsuan Lin.

Position Announcement

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Plant Pathology

Washington State University, Department of Plant Pathology, Pullman, WA  
A Postdoctoral Research Associate position is open to conduct research in fungal molecular biology to elucidating pathogenic mechanisms of the fungal pathogens Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and/or Ascochyta rabiei.  Position responsibilities and duties include: designing and carrying out experiments investigating molecular mechanisms of fungal pathogenesis, functionally characterizing fungal genes in pathogenesis, analyzing and interpreting experimental results, presenting results at scientific meetings and preparing manuscripts for scientific journals, training and supervising temporary employees. Laboratory techniques may involve fungal transformation, random tagged mutagenesis, targeted mutagenesis, functional complementation analysis, polymerase chain reaction, DNA sequencing, Southern hybridization, cDNA library construction and screening, microarray analysis or any other appropriate technologies.

Qualifications:  Required:  A PhD in molecular biology, plant pathology, mycology, plant biology, genetics, or a related field.  Highly Desired: A strong demonstrated background in molecular techniques, an interest in plant-microbe interactions, and experience with fungal biology. The successful candidate is expected to conduct research independently and have excellent written and oral communication skills.

Availability:  The position is temporary, 12 month, full-time. Initial appointment is for 1 year and is annually renewable and dependent upon continued funding.  Salary is commensurate with experience and includes annual leave and medical benefits.  Submit letter of application describing interests and qualifications, vitae, transcripts and three letters of reference (direct from source) to: Dr. Weidong Chen, USDA-ARS, Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, P.O. Box 646430, Pullman, WA 99164-6430, e-mail: w-chen@wsu.edu, phone: 509-335-9178, FAX: 509-335-7692.  Screening: August 30, 2008.

EEO/AA/ADA

Invited Guest Speaker at Sixth Annual Plant Pathology Departmental Retreat at Iowa State University

Dr. Lindsey du Toit was one of two invited speakers at the Sixth Annual Plant Pathology Departmental Retreat at Iowa State University, held at McFarland Park in Ames, IA on May 30th, 2008. Lindsey's presentation was titled "Seeds Sown & Harvests Reaped: Vegetable Seed Pathology at Washington State University". The other guest speaker was Dr. James Alfano from the University of Nebraska of Lincoln, who spoke on "The molecular basis of plant immunity suppression by the Pseudomonas syringae type III effector HopU1". Lindsey and Jim each enjoyed the opportunity to meet with graduate students and faculty of the ISU Department of Plant Pathology. The retreat was organized by the graduate students, and also included a plant pathology quiz bowl, a BBQ dinner, and a memorable canoe race by faculty and graduate students. The two guest speakers formed a canoe team and ended with a very wet finishing heat!

Faculty Named Senior Editor for Plant Diease

Dr. Debra Ann Inglis was recently named senior editor for Plant Disease, an international journal of applied plant pathology. Visit the journal online at http://www.apsnet.org/pd/.

WSU Plant Pathology at the 2008 University of Washington Undergraduate Research Symposium

Two student researchers working with Plant Pathology Department mycologist Dr. Dean Glawe presented results of their research at the 2008 University of Washington Undergraduate Research Symposium on May 16.  Elle Kramer’s presentation “Characterization and identification of fungi associated with Hedera helix leaf spot” described her research using morphological and rDNA sequence data to characterize fungal parasites of this introduced, invasive plant.  A Mary Gates Scholar, Elle’s research was supported by her funding from the Mary Gates Endowment.  Juliana Suarez’s presentation “Isolation and characterization of  xylose-utilizing yeasts and filamentous fungi for bioethanol production” described her work to isolate, evaluate, and characterize with morphological and molecular data several fungi she isolated that exhibited the ability both to use xylose as a carbon source, and to produce ethanol.  An honors student in Microbiology, Juliana’s project was co-supervised by Sharon Doty of the University of Washington’s College of Forest Resources.

End of Semester Celebration

The Schroeder Laboratory celebrated the end of the semester and the beginning of summer with a pizza party.  Undergraduates, Eric Thyren and Pat Legler, received WSU plaques as graduation gifts. Participants included left to right in back row :Josh Miller, Pat Legler, Juan Pena and Eric Thyren.  Front row: Brenda Schroeder, Jenny Sires and Monika Such.

Washington Magazine Feature

Dr. Hanu Pappu is featured in the May issue of Washington Magazine for his research on dahlias.

Dr. Peter Rogers, Plant Pathologist with Nunhems, Brooks, OR, visited Dr. Hanu Pappu, May 12-13 and discussed research projects with Dr. Pappu and his group, Keri Druffel, Sahar Eid, and Yu-Hsuan Lin. During his visit, Dr. Rogers also met and held discussions with Dr. Brenda Schroeder.

From left: Hanu Pappu, Sahar Eid, Peter Rogers, and Yu-Hsuan Lin

Travel Grants Awarded

Evans Njambere, Jason Ingram and Renuka Attanayake all received the Graduate School travel grants to support their travel to the upcoming Annual APS Meeting. A total of 63 students submitted proposals and just 35 students were selected to receive awards.

Olufemi Alabi was selected as the receipient of the Gustaaf A. de Zoeten Student Travel Award and Jeremiah Dung was selected as the receipient of the Albert Paulus Student Travel Award. Both these awards were presented by the APS Foundation for travel to the upcoming Annual APS Meeting. Renuka Attanayake and Evans Njambere also received the APS Foundation Student travel awards, in addition to the WSU Graduate School Student travel awards.

Sahar Eid, PhD student with Dr. Hanu Pappu, was selected to receive the Nellie Townley Heald Memorial Scholarship to support her attendance at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Phytopathological Society in Minneapolis, MN. Sahar will be presenting results of her ongoing research on the molecular characterization of plant pararetroviruses in cultivated and wild Dahlia spp. 

Congratulations to all!

WSU Plant Pathology at Mushroom Maynia

On May 4 the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle hosted “Mushroom Maynia”, an event covering all things mycological.  Several hundred natural history enthusiasts of all ages enjoyed a wide range of activities ranging from mycophagy to mycophilately and viewed lectures and displays on the roles of fungi in natural and urban ecosystems.  The Department of Plant Pathology was represented by faculty member Dr. Dean Glawe and WSU Master Gardeners Wanda Booth, Marilyn Tilbury, and Jane Tobin who hosted a display on the role of fungi as plant pathogens.  In addition to providing information on Master Gardener clinics and activities in western Washington, the display featured research projects of Dr. Glawe and undergraduate student researchers in his program at the University of Washington.

Department of Plant Pathology mycologist Dean Glawe and WSU Master Gardeners Wanda Booth and Jane Tobin (not pictured: Marilyn Tilbury

WSU News Feature

Ralph Young, a general physical sciences graduate mentored by Dr. David Weller, was featured in WSU News for his work with the USDA-ARS Root Disease and Biological Control Research Unit's biofuels project and Native American outreach efforts. Way to go Ralph!

WSU Today Feature

To celebrate Public Service Recognition Week, May 4-10, seven WSU employees will be awarded certificates from the Washington Secretary of State for four decades of service, amoung them is our very own Dr. Jack Rogers. Congratulations Dr. Rogers! Full story

First Palouse Truffle Foray

On April 27, approximately 35 participants joined special guest and truffle expert Dr. Jim Trappe on the very first Palouse Truffle Foray.  Although no truffles were found, probably due to the time of year and weather, participants learned how to find truffles and where to look.  And as an added bonus, Dr. Rogers found the first morel of the season!

More photos, click here.

Dr. Trappe visited the department on April 28, had a lunch with students and postdocs in the department, and gave a seminar, "Trees, Truffles and Beasts:  How Forests Function".  In the evening, Dr. Trappe gave a public talk "Truffles and Gourmets"  Of Mice and Men" at the Smith Undergraduate Education Building on campus.   Dr. Trappe's visit was sponsored by the Department of Plant Pathology and Palouse Mycological Association. For photos, click here.

Top Downloads from Plant Disease

Dr. Ken Eastwell’s Feature Article, ‘Viruses and Viroids Infecting Hop: Significance, Epidemiology, and Management’ in Plant Disease (March 2008, Volume 92, Pages 324-338; DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-92-3-0324) is one of the most downloaded articles from the APS web site (http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/action/showMostReadArticles?journalCode=pdis)
It presently ranks #7 in the top 20 most downloaded full text articles published in Plant Disease.
Congratulations, Dr. Eastwell!

APS New Caspule Editor's Pick & Feature

In the April 17th edition of APS News Capsule, the manuscript published on research conducted by Dr. Lori Carris in cooperation with B. A. Richardson, N. B. Klopfenstein, P. J. Zambino, G. I. McDonald, and B. W. Geils on white pine blister rust fungus was the Phytopathology Editor's Pick.

Also featured, was the Dr. Lee Hadwiger's mini review, "Pea–Fusarium solani Interactions Contributions of a System Toward Understanding Disease Resistance"

Notice of Vancancy

Assistant Professor, Nematology (Search No. 5044). Full-time (12-month) tenure-track appointment in the Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington. The successful candidate will be expected to initiate and conduct innovative and comprehensive research (75%) and teaching (25%) programs emphasizing molecular and applied aspects of plant-parasitic nematodes, plant-nematode interactions, and the diseases they cause on crops of importance in Washington State. Teaching responsibilities include a course in nematology and participation in other courses in the department. Advise students working toward M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.  The successful applicant will be expected to conduct an approved program of research consistent with the mission of the WSU Agricultural Research Center. Required qualifications include an earned doctorate in plant pathology or a related field at the time of hire, and evidence of scholarly contributions. Desirable qualifications are demonstrated ability to conduct research in plant parasitic nematodes, demonstrated ability in molecular biology, evidence of research productivity, ability to develop an original research program dealing with plant parasitic nematodes; ability to teach at undergraduate and graduate levels, potential ability to obtain external funding, evidence of oral, written, and electronic communication skills, and ability to advise graduate students. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience.  Screening of application materials will begin July 14, 2008.  For position description listing all qualifications and application process, visit:  http://www.hrs.wsu.edu/employment/fapvacancies.aspx  (Search #5044)  Submit a letter of application specifically addressing each required and desired qualification, your research interests, a one-page description of teaching philosophy, curriculum vitae, copies of college/university transcripts, and have three letters of reference direct from source sent to Ms. Robin Stratton, Nematology Search, Department of Plant Pathology, P.O. Box 646430, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6430. E-mail: rstratton@wsu.edu.  E-mailed applications will be accepted for initial consideration but hard copies must be provided in advance of an interview.  Questions regarding the position may be directed to Dr. Hanu Pappu, Search Committee Chair, Phone: 509-335-3752, E-mail: hrp@wsu.edu. Washington State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action educator and employer.

Daily Evergreen Feature

Research conducted by Dr. Lori Carris on Tilletia fungi was published in the April 14 edition of the Daily Evergreen. Read the full story.

CAHNRS Team Interdisciplinary Award

The Vineyard IPM Team led by Douglas Walsh, an agrichemical and environmental extension specialist, and Gary Grove, associate professor of plant pathology and extension plant pathologist, both at the WSU Prosser Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, received the CAHNRS Team Interdisciplinary Award. Read the full story on WSU Today.

President Emeritus Sam Smith to Present Lecture

Dr. Sam Smith, Professor of Plant Pathology and President Emeritus, delivered the inaugural lecture in the Sam Smith Lecture Series in Plant Virology in the Department of Plant Pathology on April 7, 2008. In his talk, Dr. Smith addressed the changing environment of higher education in the State of Washington. During his visit, Dr. Smith met with graduate students and faculty in the department. Initiated by Dr. Hanu Pappu, associate professor in the department, the series would bring plant virologists from other parts of the US and the world to WSU in coming years. Dr. Pappu holds the Sam Smith and Patricia Smith Distinguished Professorship in Plant Virology, made possible by an endowment created by the American Dahlia Society.  

Featured in WSU Today.

Pictures of Dr. Smith's visit

WSU Showcase

WSU Showcase was held Friday, March 28, where department research was on display. View photos.

Upcoming Extension Workshop

Workshop entitle Nematode identification - with emphasis on Free Living Nematodes (microscopes and keys for Nematode Identification will be used) will be held on May 14th, 11 am to 4:00pm, WSU-IAREC, Prosser. Seminar as part of the Workshop: "Soil Community Structure: Effect of Different Organic Agroecosystems and Edaphic Properties " presented by Doug Collins, Crop and Soil Sciences Department. The seminar is open to everyone, however, you must register for the workshop by e-mailing Dr. Ekaterini Riga (riga@wsu.edu)- the participation is limited due to space and microscope availability.

New to the Website

We have added a section to our website! Check out the Research Highlights and learn more about the internationally recogized scientists and their research.

Faculty Member Receives Fulbright Fellowship

Dr. Hanu Pappu has received the Fulbright Fellowship for the 2008-2009 year. Pappu will participate in lecturing and research activity for three months at Alexandria University, Egypt. The lecturing activities are in the area of molecular virology and agricultural biotechnology. Pappu will also be conducting in the area of genomics of selected viruses of vegetables and legumes. Pappu has also worked with the USDA FAS to bring the Borlaug Fellow to WSU. His work has allowed WSU to be the host institution for the Borlaug Fellow in the area of agricultural biotechnology emphasizing environmental issues.

On the Cover...

Dr. Hanu Pappu's research on tospoviruses is featured on the cover page of the April 2008 issue of Plant Disease.

Dr. Naidu Rayapati's research on Tomato spotted wilt virus is featured on the cover page of the 2008 February issue of Plant Pathology, pp.190–200.

Meet Your New Co-Worker

Anmin Wan

Dr. Wan, a postdoctoral fellow from Simon Fraser University, Canada, recently joined Xianming Chen’s lab. He obtained his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from China Agricultural University. He worked on wheat stripe rust at the Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. His major researches in Pullman include pathogenicity survey and detection of wheat and barley stripe rust pathogens, especially monitoring the new races and virulence, resistance evaluation of lines, cultivars and germplasms with interested resistance to stripe rust.

Plant Pathology Undergraduates Participate in Molecular Plant Sciences Retreat

Philip Hagihara, a senior majoring in Genetics and Cell Biology, and Joseph Hulbert, a junior majoring in Forestry, presented research posters at the Intregrated Molecular Plant Sciences Retreat on February 16, 2008.  Phil Hagihara studied the transmission of Pythium tolerance in a novel Rhizoctonia-tolerant wheat plant created by Drs. Kimberlee Kidwell and Camille Steber.  Joe Hulbert examined the impact of jasmonic acid signaling on Pythium innate tolerance in tomato.  Both young researchers began their projects in the laboratory of Dr. Pat Okubara in Fall 2007, and were assisted by Biological Sciences Technician, Nathalie Walter.  Hagihara’s poster, entitled “Inheritance of Pythium Tolerance in BC2F2 Populations of Wheat Cultivar Scarlet-Rz1” was awarded Best Undergraduate Student Poster at the retreat.

Wiley Graduate Student Research Exposition

Sahar Eid, PhD student with Dr. Hanu Pappu, presented a poster on her ongoing research on caulimovirus diversity in cultivated and wild dahlias at the annual Wiley Graduate Student Research Exposition on February 13, 2008 at Beasley.  Sahar recently won a competitive graduate scholarship from the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), Lebanon.  Congratulations, Sahar!

Dr. Naidu Rayapati and his team won recognition for their research on grape viruses at Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers 2008 Annual Meeting, Trade Show and Convention, held during February 6-8, 2008 at Kennewick, Washington State.

Awards were:

First Place in Poster Session under Professional Category

An Update on the Occurrence of Grapevine Viruses in Washington State Vineyards, authors: Tefera Mekuria, Gandhi Karthikeyan, Olufemi Alabi, Sridhar Jarugula and Naidu Rayapati.

Honorable Mention in Poster Session under Professional Category

The Epidemiology of Grapevine Leafroll Disease in Washington State Vineyards, authors: Gandhi Karthikeyan, Olufemi Alabi, Sridhar Jarugula, Tefera Mekuria and Naidu Rayapati.

Congratulations on 45 Years of Service

Dr. Jack Rogers was presented with a certificate and gift for 45 years of service at WSU. Congratulations and thank you for your long standing service and commitment to the department!

On Solid Ground Feature
Research conducted by Dr. Hanu Pappu on viruses that affect dahlias was featured in the February 27 issue of CAHNRS On Solid Ground.

Snow Mold Research Featured in the News this Month
Reasearch on snow mold conducted by Dr. Tim Murray was featured on the February 4 in SeedQuest News.

On the KLEW evening news on February 5. View the entire story and watch the segment here.

In the February 6 issue of CAHNRS On Solid Ground.

And on Northwest Public Radion on February 21. View the entire story and listen to the segment here.

Upcoming Idaho Oilseed Conference

An article in the Latah Eagle (Idaho) and the East Oregonian (Pendleton) on the Idaho Oilseed Conference to be held in Moscow in late February mention that Dr. Scot Hulbert will be among the featured speakers.

Meet Your New Co-Worker

Vekatesan Segoda Gounder

Dr. Venkatesan recently joined as a post-doctoral research associate in the Department of Plant Pathology.  He is working with Dr. Hanu Pappu and Dr. Joseph Munyaneza (USDA-ARS, Wapato) on the etiology of zebra chip disease of potato.  He obtained his B.S. (Agriculture), M.S. (Plant Pathology) and Ph.D. (Plant Pathology) from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu, India and he worked as a post-doctoral fellow in Plant Virology and Molecular Genetics, at the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, Taiwan on an Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSP II), Development of transgenic tomato lines against tomato leaf curl virus.

Capital Press: West's Ag Website Feature

Upcoming California Garlic and Onion Symposium

An article in California Farmer about the upcoming California Garlic and Onion Symposium to be held in Tulare, CA will include WSU plant pathologist Hanu Pappu as one of the featured speakers.
http://californiafarmer.com/index.aspx?ascxid=fpStory&fpsid=31707&fpstid=2