Dr. Gerald Holmes, Director of the Cal Poly Strawberry Center in San Luis Obispo, CA, visited the WSU Plant Pathology department in Pullman on Monday, November 6th as the Fall 2023 graduate student-invited speaker coordinated by the Plant Pathology Graduate Student Organization. Dr. Holmes met individually with several Plant Pathology faculty members and interacted with graduate students over the course of three meals. Dr. Holmes also presented a seminar to the department on his work at the Strawberry Center and how it serves as a model for applied research and extension in agriculture.
Dr. Holmes’ career spans various areas of plant pathology, from academia and extension to industry, and he has worked with a wide range of agricultural commodities. This visit allowed graduate students to gain valuable insights from Dr. Holmes’ career and experiences in building a center that epitomizes applied agricultural research, and led to productive conversation with WSU faculty.
The Plant Pathology Graduate Student Organization is grateful to Dr. Holmes for taking the time to visit WSU and looks forward to continued collaboration with plant pathologists from around the country. The Plant Pathology Graduate Student Organization thanks the Department of Plant Pathology, WSU Graduate and Professional Student Association and Cougparents Fund for funding this event.
