Spring 2026
Mondays, 9:10 - 10:05 am
244 Kottman Hall (Columbus) and 203 Selby Hall Wooster (Zoom link available)
Coordinators: Dr. Guo-Liang Wang (wang.620@osu.edu) (Columbus) and Dr. Andres Sanabria-Velazquez (sanabria-velazquez.1@osu.edu) (Wooster)
Subject to change
Jan. 12, 2026
Faculty Spotlight
Francesca Peduto Hand, Professor, Dept of Plant Pathology, Ohio State
Closing the land-grant loop to drive ornamental plant health
and
Shaohui Wu, Assistant Professor, Dept of Entomology and Dept. of Plant Pathology, Ohio State
Developing research and extension programs towards sustainable management of turfgrass health
Jan. 26, 2026
Ambrosia Havan, PhD Candidate, Plant Pathology, Ohio State
Evaluating the Efficacy of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in Cut Flower Pathosystems
and
Antonio Alcala, PhD student, Plant Pathology, Ohio State
Characterization of Neopestalotiopsis spp. Isolates and Genetic Resistance in Strawberry Cultivars (Fragaria × ananassa)
Feb. 20 2026
David Francis, Professor, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio State
Genomic selection, plant pathogens, and the FUGLY tomato: An overview of processing tomato breeding and genetics at The Ohio State University
Feb. 9, 2026
Carolyn A. Young, Professor and Department Head, Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University)
Distinguished Lecture in Plant Pathology: Celebrating Diversity: The Good, the Bad, and the Symbiotic
Feb. 16, 2026
Sudharsan Sadhasivam, Postdoctoral Scholar, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Ohio State
Mycotoxin contamination in different agricultural commodities
Feb. 23, 2026
Cristiano Nunes, Visiting Fellow, Department of Plant Pathology, Ohio State
EPAGRI: An Overview of Agricultural Research and Extension in Santa Catarina, Brazil and Why is he in the Paul Lab?
March 2, 2026
Michael Joe Vaughan, Advanced Coffee Science, The J.M. Smucker Co.
From Microbes to Molecules: My path to coffee science
March 9, 2026
Exchange Student Seminar
March 16, 2026 - Spring Break, no classes
March 23, 2026
William Rutter, Professor, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University
Meet a Nematologist Guest Lecture
March 30, 2026
Walt Mahaffee, USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory, Corvallis ORA
Exploring the applications of spore samplers in plant pathology
April 6, 2026
Shuai Huang, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State
Biomolecular condensates in plants
April 13, 2026
Gloria Rivas, M.S. student, Plant Pathology (M. ivey, advisor)
M.S. Exit Seminar - Hydroponic Pathogen Dynamics: Protocol Development for Pythium Root Rot Induction and multi-species Biofilm visualization with foodborne pathogens
April 20, 2026
Robert Blanchette, Professor, Dept. of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota
Distinguished Lecture in Plant Pathology - Exploring the Hidden Diversity of Forest Fungi
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Autumn 2025
Fridays, 9:10 - 10:05 am
244 Kottman Hall (Columbus) and 203 Selby Hall Wooster (Zoom link available)
Coordinators: Dr. Guo-Liang Wang (wang.620@osu.edu) (Columbus) and Dr. Andres Sanabria-Velazquez (sanabria-velazquez.1@osu.edu) (Wooster)
Subject to change
August 29, 2025
Francesca Peduto Hand, Professor and Graduate Studies Chair, Dept of Plant Pathology, Ohio State
What You Need to Know to Maximize your Experience and Succeed as a Plant Pathology Graduate Student
Sept. 5, 2025
Irene Gentzel, Postdoctoral Scholar (Wang), Dept of Plant Pathology, Ohio State
Characterizing the Potyvirus Resistance Locus wsm3 in Maize
Sept. 12, 2025
Jan Leach, University Distinguished Professor, Colorado State University and Member, National Academy of Science.
Distinguished Lecture in Plant Pathology sponsored by the Plant Protection Endowment
Bacteria-Insect-Plant Interactions: Understanding How Microbiomes in Honeydew of Russian Wheat Aphids Increase Aphid Virulence to Plants
Sept. 19, 2025
Pablo Vargas Mejia
Genome Structure and Viral Interactions Shape vsiRNA Landscapes in Papaya Mixed Infections
Sept. 26, 2025
Lanre Shittu, Seminar Exchange graduate student speaker, Penn State
Bridging Prediction and Practice: Evidence Synthesis, Field Validation, and Stakeholder Insights for Fusarium Head Blight Management in Wheat
Oct. 3, 2025
Jelmer Poelstra, Wirat Pipatpongpinyo, Vismaya Dhanashree, and Sunny Park, CFAES Ohio State
What the Molecular Cellular Imaging Center (MCIC) and Other CFAES Service Labs Can Do for You
Oct. 10, 2025
Andrew Miles, Ph.D. candidate, Plant Pathology, Ohio State (Bonello, advisor)
Integrative Multi-Omics Profiling of Beech Leaf Disease: A Case Study in a Non-Model Forest Pathosystem
Oct. 17, 2025
Autumn Break, No classes, university offices open
Oct. 24, 2025
Tracy Hawk, Assistant Professor, Plant Pathology and Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio State
Molecular Pathways and Plasticity: Unraveling Plant Defense and Adaptation
and
Francis Fang, Assistant Professor, Plant Pathology, Ohio State
Decoding Epigenetic and Genetic Regulation of Virulence and Fungicide Resistance in Phytophthora
Oct. 31, 2025
Frank J. Louws, Dept Head, Dept of Horticultural Science and William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor, North Carolina State University
Distinguished Lecture in Plant Pathology sponsored by the Department
Horticultural Plant Pathology in Action From Pathogen to Practice: Understanding and Managing Disease Complexity
November 7, 2025
Timothy Frey, Research Associate, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Ohio State
Microbial Communities and Pythium in Hydroponic Lettuce Production
Nov. 14, 2025
Jenna Moore, PhD Candidate, Plant Pathology, Ohio State (Lopez-Nicora, advisor)
Fusarium, Microbial Communities, and Seed Treatments: A Systems-Level Investigation of Corn and Soybean Seedling Health. Exit Seminar
Nov. 21, 2025
Aleacia Laird, M.S. graduate student, Plant Pathology, Ohio State (Hand, advisor)
Investigating the Pathways of Seed Transmission in Xanthomonas campestris pv. incanae and its Impact on the Microbiome of Matthiola incana seeds
November 28, 2025
No classes, university closed. Thanksgiving weekend (Indigenous People's Day/Columbus Day (observed)
Dec. 5, 2025
Hannah Toth, PhD candidate, Plant Pathology, Ohio State
Tracking the Evolution of Emerging Bacterial Plant Pathogens Through Next Generation Sequencing Technologies
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Spring 2025
Mondays, 9:10 - 10:05 am
244 Kottman Hall (Columbus) and 203 Selby Hall Wooster (Zoom link available)
Coordinators: Dr. Enrico Bonello (bonello.2@osu.edu) (Columbus) and Dr. Erik Ohlson (Wooster)
Subject to change.
January 6, 2025 - Faculty Spotlight Seminar
Dr. Jenny Wilson, Research Molecular Biologist, USDA ARS, Wooster and Adjunct Assistant Professor
The fascinating, multi-segmented lifestyle of High Plains wheat mosaic virus
and
Dr. Guo-Liang Wang, Endowed Professor of Plant Protection
Cell-Permeable Proteins for Plant Disease Control
January 13, 2025
Ambrosia Havan, Ph.D. student (F. Hand, advisor), and
Jenna Moore, Ph.D. candidate (H. Lopez-Nicora, advisor)
January 27, 2025
Dr. Soumya Ghosh, Postdoctoral Scholar (E. Bonello)
Systemic stress signaling in Austrian pine
February 3, 2025
Jay Hyun Kim, Graduate student, University of Minnesota, Seminar exchange presenter
Exploring the Role of Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenase (GmCADs) in Soybean’s Susceptibility and Resistance to Sclerotinia
February 10, 2025
Libby Indermaur, Graduate student, Cornell University, Seminar exchange presenter
Plant pathology behind bars: how I fell in love with teaching
Febuary 17, 2025
Khwannarin (Biu) Khemsom, Plant Pathology Ph.D. student (F. Qu), Ohio State
February 24, 2025
Faculty Spotlight Semina
Dr. Anna Testen, Research Plant Pathologist, USDA ARS, Wooster, and Adjunct Assistant Professor
and
Dr. Enrico Bonello, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, Ohio State
March 3, 2025
Naeyeoung (Nick) Choi, Plant Pathology Ph.D. candidate (G-L Wang), Ohio State
March 17, 2025
Nina Ward, Plant Pathology Ph.D. student (M. Ivey), Ohio State, and
Aleacia Laird, Plant Pathology M.S. student (F. Hand), Ohio State
March 24, 2025
Camila Perdoncini Carvalho, Plant Pathology Ph.D. candidate (F. Qu), Ohio State
March 31, 2025
Gloria Rivas, Plant Pathology M.S. student (M. Ivey), and
Andrew Miles, Plant Pathology Ph.D. student (E. Bonello)
April 7, 2025
Dr. Cristina Rosa, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Enviornmental Microbiology, Penn State University
April 14, 2025
Dr. Stephanie Karhoff, OSU Extension and Courtesy Assistant Professor, Plant Pathology
April 21, 2025
Dr. David Mackey, Professor, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio State
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Autumn 2024
Fridays, 9:10 - 10:05 am
Kottman 244 (Columbus) and Selby 203 (Wooster) (Zoom link available)
Coordinators: Dr. Enrico Bonello (bonello.2@osu.edu) (Columbus) and Dr. Erik Ohlson (Wooster)
August 23 - Dr. Monica Lewandowski et al, Department of Plant Pathology, Ohio State
Part 1. Asking Good Questions; Part 2. Grad Student and Advisor Responsibilities
August 30 - Dr. Eliana Torres Bedoya, Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Plant Pathology (Bonello), Ohio State
Fusarium Wilt of Bananas in Colombia
September 6 - Staff Spotlight:
Dr. Rachel Capouya, Postdoctoral Scholar (Jacobs/Hand), Ohio State
Metagenomic Detection of Oomycete Pathogens in Woody Ornamental Plants
Dr. Brian Pace, Instructor, Ohio State
The Highs and Lows of Speaking Out Against Psychedelic Cults
September 13 - Dr. Jian Jin - Associate Professor, Purdue University
Purdue's Innovative Plant Phenotyping Sensors for Early Disease Detection and Accurate Nutrients Measurement
September 20
Dr. Francesca Rotondo, Director, C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic, Ohio State
Plant Diagnostics: The Challenges and The Reward
Dr. Erik Ohlson, Research Geneticist, Corn, Soybean & Wheat Quality Research Unit, USDA ARS, Wooster, OH
Corn Viruses: Management Strategies and Challenges
September 27 - Dr. Feng Qu, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, Ohio State
A High-School Marching Band, A Bee Hive, And A Virus-Infected Cell
October 4 - Dr. Lei Zhang, Assistant Professor, Purdue University
Integrating Basic and Applied Nematology for Effective Management of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes
October 11 - Autumn Break. No classes, University offices open.
October 18 - Dr. Romina Gazis, Tropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida
Tropical Plant Pathology: Challenges And Opportunities
October 25, 2024 - Edwin Navarro, PhD Candidate, Plant Pathology (C Taylor), Ohio State
November 1, 2024 - Fiama Guevara, PhD Candidate, Plant Pathology (Benitez Ponce), Ohio State
Characterizing The Diversity and Functional Potential of Microbial Communities in Hydroponic Systems
November 8, 2024 - Tim Siegenthaler, PhD Candidate, Plant Pathology (Testen), Ohio State
November 15, 2024 - Melanie Medina Lopez, PhD Candidate, Plant Pathology (Benitez Ponce), Ohio State
Fungal Communities Associated with Soybean Cyst Nematode Infested Fields in Ohio
November 22, 2024 - Lee Beers, Extension Educator, OSU Extension, Ohio State
Plant Disease Diagnostics and Education in Local Communities
Spring 2024
Mondays, 9:10 - 10:05 am
Kottman 244 (Columbus) and Selby 203 (Wooster) (Zoom link available)
Coordinators: Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora and Dr. Soledad Benitez-Ponce
Jan. 8 - Dr. Sandip Mondal, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Plant Pathology, Ohio State
Jan.15 - Holiday, Martin Luther King Dr. Day. No classes, University closed.
Jan. 22 - Dr. Mesfin Bogale, Ohio State
Jan. 29 - Dr. Nicholas Tinsley, BASF
February 5 - Faculty Spotlights
Feb. 12 - Dr. Lindsay du Toit, Washington State University
Feb. 19 - Dr. Gary Munkvold, Iowa State University
Feb. 26 - Dr. Kelsey Badger, Ohio State
March 4 - Dr. Jean-Baptiste Leducq, ULaval (Quebec City, Canada)
March 11 - Spring Break, no seminar
March 18 - Dr. Paulo Vieira, USDA (Beltsville)
March 25 - TBD
April 1 - Dr. Feng Feng, Oklahoma State University
April 8 - Dr. Florian Diekmann, CFAES Head Librarian, Ohio State
April 15 -Nathaniel Heiden, Ph.D. Candidate, Plant Pathology, Ohio State
Exit seminar (Dr. Jonathan Jacobs, advisor)
April 22 - Stephanie Preising, Cornell University (PPGSA Guest Speaker)