News

Fungal spores responsible for bitter rot disease, a common and devastating infection in fruit, do not encounter their host plants by chance. Turns out, they have a symbiotic association with the plant, often living inside its leaves.

Matthew Wheatley successfully defended his thesis on June 9, 2020.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Chauncy Hinshaw for passing his comprehensive examination.

Meet some of PPEM's 2020 Ph.D., M.S., Intercollege, and World Campus graduates, as well as undergraduates who minored in Plant Pathology and/or Mushroom Science and Technology or who worked in PPEM labs.

Karemera successfully defended his thesis on April 30, 2020.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Emma Rosenthal for passing her comprehensive examination.

Three graduate students in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences were among those who received grants and honorable mentions this year from the National Science Foundation.

The Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences recently launched a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee — the result of a conversation that sprouted from a mentoring relationship between a student and faculty member.

The Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology announced its 2020 awards and scholarships recipients during their annual winter celebration on February 17 at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center in State College.

Congratulations to Mary for passing her qualifying exam on February 24.

Food and housing insecurity is a growing issue for students at colleges and universities across the United States. Recent reports from both The Hope Center and the U.S. General Accounting Office have found these issues on college campuses nationwide. To help address this problem at Penn State, University President Eric Barron has formed a University Task Force on Food and Housing Security.

Congratulations to Jeremy for passing his qualifying exam on January 27.

Congratulations to Max for passing his qualifying exam on January 21.

Laura del Sol Bautista Jalón successfully defended her thesis on December 18, 2019.

Amanda Mainello successfully defended her thesis on December 11, 2019.

Kaixi Zhao successfully defended her thesis on November 26, 2019.

Emma Rosenthal and Ilsa Huerta, both graduate students in the College of Agricultural Sciences, began working together in 2017 because of a shared realization.

Congratulations to Johanny for passing his qualifying exam on November 8.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Phillip L Martin for passing his comprehensive examination.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Vicki Hsieh-Feng for passing her comprehensive examination.

As a de la Torre Scholar in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Terry Torres-Cruz aspires to foster relationships between the college and Latin America by sharing her connections and experiences.

Congratulations to Elisa Lauritzen for passing her oral qualifying exam on October 22.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Justin Shih for passing his comprehensive examination.

Congratulations to Laura for passing her qualifying exam on October 11.

A new strategic planning group at Penn State seeks to enhance engagement and continue to provide support to Pennsylvania’s Latinx agricultural community.

Juan Francisco Iturralde Martinez successfully defended his thesis on September 20, 2019.

Congratulations to Michelle for passing her qualifying exam on September 12.

The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program selected Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu as a recipient for the 2019 Graduate Student Research Grant Award.

At Penn State, step out of the classroom and into the greatest laboratory in the world—the Pennsylvania wilds, a hive of agricultural activity in every direction.

Congratulations to Terry for passing her qualifying exam on August 19.

Congratulations to Jeremy Held for passing his qualifying exam on July 25.

Joseph Walls successfully defended his thesis on June 10, 2019.

Sara May successfully defended her dissertation on June 10.

The Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences recently concluded a seven-session writing productivity workshop on April 28, 2019.

Sara Klee, a doctoral student in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology and USDA NIFA Predoctoral Fellow, has been selected as a recipient of the 2019 Alumni Association Dissertation Award.

Laura Kaminsky, a doctoral student in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, will be able to advance her research interests in plant pathology after receiving a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Siyi Ge successfully defended her thesis on May 10, 2019.

Members of the Penn State Science Policy Society recently visited Washington, D.C., where they met with officials from several congressional offices and nongovernmental organizations to discuss the promotion of science and evidence-based policy.

Congratulations to Emma Wallace for passing her oral qualifying exam on April 26.

Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu, doctoral candidate in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been selected as the recipient of the Phytobiomes Fellowship for the 2019-20 academic year.

Sara Klee successfully defended her dissertation on April 12.

Sara Klee, doctoral student in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology and USDA NIFA Predoctoral Fellow, has been selected as a recipient of the 2019 College of Agricultural Sciences Outstanding Dissertation Award.

Students and faculty members from the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences recently attended the National Diversity in STEM Conference.

Congratulations to doctoral candidate Sara May for passing her comprehensive examination.

Natali Ozber successfully defended her dissertation on December 19.

Congratulations to Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu for passing her oral qualifying exam on Nov. 28.

Congratulations to Chauncy Hinshaw for passing his oral qualifying exam on Nov. 28.

Students and faculty from the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology attended The National Diversity in STEM Conference on October 11, 2018, hosted by the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). The three-day conference was held in San Antonio this year and is scheduled to take place in Honolulu next year.

Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu, Ph.D. student in Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, is the 2018 recipient of the Rose Hellaby postgraduate scholarship.

The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) program selected proposals of three plant pathology graduate students for the 2018 Graduate Student grant awards. Of the 61 proposals received, Northeast SARE awarded a total of 28 proposals at a funding level of $405,373. SARE offers competitive grants to projects that explore and address key issues affecting the sustainability and future economic viability of agriculture.

The Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development (AIARD) recently announced the recipients of 12 Future Leaders Forum scholarships.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Joseph Walls for passing his comprehensive examination.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Laura del Sol Bautista Jalón for passing her comprehensive examination on May 30.

Congratulations to Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu who passed her doctoral candidacy exam on May 10.

Congratulations to Chauncy Hinshaw who passed his doctoral candidacy exam on May 10.

Congratulations to Emma Wallace who passed her doctoral candidacy exam on May 10.

Ningxiao Li successfully defended her dissertation on May 14.

Christopher Smyth successfully defended his dissertation on May 11.

Anita Behari successfully defended her dissertation on May 3.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Robert Harvey for successfully defending his dissertation on Feb. 27.

Emma Rosenthal, a doctoral student in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, will be able to advance her research interests in plant pathology after receiving a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Two educators in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences recently received recognition for their teaching.

Plant Pathology Graduate Research Assistantships are available for highly-qualified applicants. Apply by December 15 for full funding consideration.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Kaixi Zhao for passing her comprehensive examination on December 20.

Congratulations to Phillip Martin who passed his doctoral oral candidacy exam on December 8.

Congratulations to Emma Rosenthal who passed her oral candidacy exam on December 5.

Natali Özber's proposal was selected for funding by College of Agricultural Sciences Graduate Student Competitive Grants Program.

Dr. John M. McDowell, Professor at Virginia Tech, visited PPEM October 29-31 as a student-invited colloquium speaker.

Dr. Lindsay Triplett from The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station visited PPEM October 22-24.

Ph.D. candidate Maliheh Safari successfully defended her dissertation on October 16.

The Plant Pathology Association (PPA) offers oyster mushroom grow-kits to raise funds to send PPEM graduate students to conferences. Pre-order by October 18.

Dr. Manan Sharma, Research Microbiologist at USDA-ARS, visited PPEM October 8-9.

Dr. Carolyn Malmstrom, Associate Professor of Plant Biology at Michigan State, visited PPEM October 1-3.

Dr. James Bradeen, Professor and Department Head at the University of MN, visited PPEM September 24-26.

Dr. Zhonglin Mou, University of Florida Associate Professor, was PPATH 590 Colloquium speaker on September 18.

Justin Shih passed his Ph.D. oral candidacy exam on September 7.

Emeritus Professor Gary Moorman offers valuable plant disease diagnosis techniques through PPATH 502 course.

Northeast SARE awards Laura del Sol Bautista Jalón a 2017 Graduate Student Grant.

Plant Science Ph.D. student Julianna Razryadov gave PPA students a campus green roofs tour on July 19.

Ph.D. candidate Natali Özber concluded her Upward Bound 2017 course on July 11.

Ph.D. student Khumbuzile Bophela joins the Bull Lab this summer, beginning May 30.

Anita Behari and Ningxiao Li receive APS travel awards to present research at 2017 Annual Meeting.

PPEM welcomes Ph.D. student Andrea Wilson, visiting for two months from the University of Pretoria.

Congratulations to M.S. student Melissa Finley for successfully defending her thesis on April 25.

Ph.D. candidate Bastian Minkenberg was selected for Penn State's Alumni Association Dissertation Award of $5,000.

Cláudio Maurício Vrisman, Ph.D. student from Ohio State, was a seminar exchange program speaker on April 17.

The Dept. of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology held its 2017 Annual Awards Ceremony on April 13.

Commitment to outreach a major focus of Rosenthal's 2017-2018 NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium Graduate Research Fellowship.

Dr. Brian Staskawicz delivered the Richard R. Nelson Memorial Lecture on April 10.

Dr. Erica Goss, Assistant Professor, University of Florida, was PoppR Workshop instructor and colloquium speaker on April 3.

Ph.D. candidate Maliheh Safari received 2nd Place award in 2017 Graduate Exhibition.

Elizabeth Cieniewicz, Ph.D. student, Cornell University-Geneva campus, was a seminar exchange program speaker on March 20.

Congratulations to Phillip Martin, a 2017 awardee of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

Alumna Carla Garzón visits PPEM faculty and students and delivers PPATH 590 seminar on March 13.

Ph.D. candidate Bastian Minkenberg successfully defended his dissertation on Feb. 27.

M.S. student Genna Tesdall's research project was one of five student research projects awarded funding in the Fall 2016 grant cycle.

Ph.D. student Phillip Martin organized a Jan. 27 PPEM group tour to learn about the fruit industry in Adams County.

See photos from the PPEM Annual Winter Party held at Celebration Hall on Jan. 26.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Freddy Magdama for successfully defending his dissertation on Jan. 20.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Anita Behari for passing her comprehensive exam on Jan. 12.