Ecology and epidemiology, agricultural systems, insect vectored plant pathogens, agricultural microbiome, disease diagnostics and management
I am a plant pathologist located at Oregon State University’s Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center. My research focuses on the ecology, epidemiology, and management of pathogens that cause diseases of irrigated vegetable crops. The primary goal of my research program is to develop practical and economically and environmentally sound disease management strategies to minimize disease outbreaks and enhance the efficiency of vegetable crop production in Oregon. The research I conduct seeks to learn how variability in the environment affects pathogen growth, survival, and dispersal and influences disease intensity and pattern. Some of my recent studies have examined how different crop management practices impact the soil microbiome and may be associated with varying disease outcomes. I received my M.S. and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.