Russ enjoying a dinner with his wife and friends during his retirement

Passing of Former EPP Faculty Charles Russel Patrick III

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It is with deep sorrow we announce that we lost one of our own Nov. 20th, 2019. Before Russ (pictured left) worked for us, he was a part of the TN Department of Agriculture and primarily worked on cyst nematodes. He then happily moved onto our department and worked with all crops but had expertise on corn, soybean, and stored grain. When he wasn’t working, he was either messing with Ham radios or volunteering for the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. He eventually retired from our UT Extension Service and became a member of our Emeritus Faculty. He is survived by his wife, who he had been married to for 50 years (Pat Patrick), his daughter (Lynn Box), granddaughter (Addison Box),

Closeup of the Asian longhorned tick's different life development stages (adult, nymph, and larva)

Grant to Support Dr. Trout Fryxell’s Research on the Asian Longhorned Tick

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Congratulations! Dr. Rebecca Trout Fryxell has just been awarded a grant for her research regarding the Asian Longhorned Tick by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR). The aim is to halt the spread of this invasive tick species, a problem with both canines and cattle. With this funding, greater resources can be pulled in to help identify solutions. FFAR’s contribution of $150,000 was matched by the University of Tennessee, making a $300,000 effort against this invasive. Please check the following news releases on the matter: FFAR’s News Release UTIA’s News Release EurekAlert!’s News Release (includes video)    

A young Dr. Lambdin crouching before a dugout-trench in a military base

Veterans Appreciation Week

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A Veteran in Entomology & Plant Pathology Dr. Paris Lambdin has been with our department since 1974 (45 years!) and is a veteran of the Vietnam War. He was in the Marine Corps from 1967-1969 (pictured above). In January 1968, he arrived in Việt Nam, during the outbreak of The Tet Offensive and where he engaged in 5 campaigns during his 13-month deployment. This week was dedicated to him and the many others who served. Thank you for your service!

From left to right: Dr. Rebecca Trout Fryxell, Sarah Boggess, Dr. Kimberly Gwinn, Dr. Ernest Bernard, Dr. Denita Habdziabdic Guerry, Arlene King, Dr. Jerome Grant, Mary Dee, Dr. Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes, Dr. Marcin Nowicki, Kimberly Campbell

Thank You, EPP First-Gens!!

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Being the first in your family to attend college has its own trials and tribulations to overcome because when it comes to figuring out college, you’re often on your own. That’s why being a first-generation student is something to be proud of! We want to take a special moment to congratulate the first-gens in our department who kicked college’s butt and got to where they are today. Thank you for being first-gen and thank you for being a part of EPP! If you would like to read a personal experience from one of our first gens, Shelly Pate– a Graduate Research Assistant and Masters student in our department– wrote an inspiring read the other day. I encourage you to check

Shelly Pate holding a poster demonstrating the distribution of 100 seedlings with various different fungal pathogens

Shelly Pate: What Being First-Generation Means to Me

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National First-Generation College Student Celebration Being First-Generation is beautiful and provides a unique perspective, and our department is teeming with first-generation students and faculty. To showcase this personally, we wanted to feature one of our students’ thoughts. Shelly Pate is a Graduate Research Assistant who is working on her Masters with a concentration in Plant Pathology and is currently stationed at the West TN Research & Education Center. She is also a First-Generation College Student and wanted to share her experience: As an only child, I have always received an abundant amount of love, support, and guidance. However, when the time came to start applying to colleges as an undergraduate, I realized something was starting to become a little different.

A grandpa panicking as a rose-haired tarantula climbs atop his head, while his granddaughter stares at him with curiosity

Ag Day 2019

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The Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology Crawling to the Top at Ag Day Every year, the University of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture hosts an event that encompasses agriculture, tailgating, and Big Orange spirit. While Ag Day includes many departments, none of them quite leave the same impression as ours does. The photo above has Rosie, Dr. Grant’s rose-haired tarantula, trying to get a peek at the festivities. Check out the other photos to see our team represent UT spirit: