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Plant Pathology

Department of Plant Pathology

CFAES

Awards

2012  C.C. Allison Award

Jorge David Salgado and Jinnan Hu, plant pathology doctoral students, were honored with the C.C. Allison Award.  Salgado, whose advisor is Pierce A. Paul, is studying the epidemiology and management of Fusarium head blight and Stagonospora leaf blotch of wheat.  Salgado's publication in Plant Disease, "Grain Harvesting Strategies to Minimize Grain Quality Losses due to Fusarium Head Blight in Wheat," was selected as an Editor's Pick in November 2011 (authors Salgado, Matthew Wallhead, Larry Madden and Paul). Salgado is the current president of the Plant Pathology Graduate Students Association and also contributes to OSU Extension's cereal pathology program.

Hu, whose advisor is Thomas K. Mitchell, was recognized for his achievements in establishing the use of rapid DNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatics to study host-fungal interactions in plant pathogenic fungi.  Much of his work is centered on Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal agent of rice blast.  The award honors the memory of Clyde C. Allison, an outstanding Ohio State plant pathologist and student mentor in the 1940s-1970s, and includes a plaque and monetary award to each recipient.

Left photo: Jorge David Salgado (center) with advisor Pierce Paul (left) and Larry Madden. Right photo: Jinnan Hu (left) with advisor Thomas Mitchell.

2011 C.C. Allison Awards

Ph.D. candidates Daniel J. Anco and Gautam S. Shirsekar were honored with the 2011 C. C. Allison Award.  The award, which includes a plaque and $800 for each recipient, recognizes high achievement in research and service to the department.

Anco's research, under the guidance of advisors Mike Ellis and Larry Madden, centers on the epidemiology of Phomopsis cane and leaf spot on grape, with the goal of developing a predictive model for the sporulation of Phomopsis viticola on infected grape vines. The overall objective of his research is to improve the timing of early season fungicide applications for disease control.  He was a selected as a presenter at the I.E. Melhus Graduate Student Symposium for the 2011 APS Annual Meeting and has been active in APS and department activities.  Anco's digital imagery was named Best of Show in the 2010 Art in Phytopathology competition, and he has organized several events and fundraisers for the Plant Pathology Graduate Students Association (PPGSA).

Shirsekar is studying with Guo-Liang Wang.  His research focuses on understanding the molecular basis of ubiquitination-mediated programmed cell death and defense responses in rice.  He was awarded a prestigious University Fellowship in 2006-2007, served as the PPGSA president in 2008 and was the student representative on the department's graduate studies committee in 2007-2008.  Shirsekar received an OARDC SEEDS graduate student grant in 2009 and has served on the program's review panel.  Shirsekar is first author on a 2010 review article, "Role of Ubiquitination in Plant Innate Immunity and Pathogen Virulence" in the Journal of Plant Biology (53:10-18) with co-authors L. Dai L, Y. Hu, X. Wang, L. Zeng and G-L Wang.  Left photo: Dan Anco (center) with advisors Mike Ellis (left) and Larry Madden.

Right photo: Gautam Shirsekar (left) with advisor Guo-Liang Wang.