Bob Blanchette awarded MSA Distinguised Mycologist of 2026
The Distinguished Mycologist Award is one of the highest awards bestowed by the Mycological Society of America, and it is designed to recognize individuals that have a truly distinguished career in the field of mycology in terms of either research or service.
Welcoming new research professional Andrew Rajczewski
In his new role, Andrew will take up recently-retired Yanhong Dong’s previous post as the mass spectrometry specialist in the Department.
Ruth Dill-Macky retiring December 2026
After 34 years of service, Professor Ruth Dill-Macky will be retiring from the Department of Plant Pathology on December 27, 2026.
Yanhong Dong’s retirement celebration
Research Associate Professor Yanhong Dong retired from her position in the Department of Plant Pathology after 24 years of service.
Two novel viruses infecting Spiraea plants found by researchers and Plant Disease Clinic
Using high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology, PhD student Joana Serrano Salgado and colleagues were able to identify two previously-unknown plant pathogenic viruses.
NSF CAREER Award for Devanshi Khokhani
Faculty member Devanshi Khokhani has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award for her project "Integrating the Next Generation into Investigating Cross-kingdom Interactions between Mycorrhizal Fungi and Hyphosphere Bacteria."
Awards Day 2026
Thank you to everyone who attended Awards Day! Read the story for a full list of winners.
Healthier Together: Refining the soil microbe combinations that can help corn grow
What does a great microbial combination look like for our most beloved crops, and how big is that community? Khokhani Lab PhD student Pranaya Kaki recently led a study digging into the microbial secrets to success for corn, one of the United States’s most important crops.