Entomology and Plant Pathology
On April 28th, the 2022 Organic Farming and Gardening Field Day event was held at the East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center (ETREC) Organic Crops Unit. UT faculty and staff, as well as other experienced personnel, gave presentations to the public on a variety of topics, ranging from alley cropping agroforestry for vegetable production to creating pollinator habitats in gardens. EPP Assistant Professor and Extension Apiculture Specialist Dr. Jennifer Tsuruda, one of the featured speakers at the event, engaged the participants with her pollinator jokes while informing them about science-based information to help create pollinator habits in their home gardens and farms. The importance of site preparation and the need for research on the nutritional value of different
“The mission of the Herbert College of Agriculture is to prepare students for careers in agriculture, natural resources, and other arenas. We recognize excellence of our students, staff, faculty, alumni, and supporters through our annual awards.” On April 22, 2022, the Herbert College of Agriculture recognized some outstanding faculty, staff, students, and alumni for their accomplishments at the annual award ceremony. We would like to recognize and thank two of the award winners, Drs. Terry Niblack and Alan Windham, for their valuable contribution to science. Distinguished Alumni Award – Dr. Terry Niblack is a distinguished graduate of the University of Tennessee, first with a double major B.S. (’76) in Horticulture/Agricultural Education and an M.S. (’82) in Entomology &
Rufus Akinrinlola was born and raised in Southwest Nigeria. While in his home country, he also received his undergraduate degree in microbiology. Before enrolling as a Ph.D. student within the Entomology and Plant Pathology Department (EPP), he attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to receive his master’s in plant pathology. During his time at UNL, he studied under the supervision of Professor Gary Yuen and Dr. Tony Adesemove. Akinrinlola mentioned that under their leadership, he learned “to treat everyone like family” and to “always be available ad create time for mentees”. Akinrinlola, a fourth-year Ph.D. student with a concentration in Sustainable Disease and Integrated Pest Management, has researched the answers to many questions related to his studies. His latest
Congratulations to Rebecca Butler as she has been selected as a recipient of the 2022-2023 Yates Dissertation Fellowship. The Yates Dissertation Fellowship Endowment is a legacy of the generosity of the estate of Arthur E. Yates and has been established since 2000. Yates was the former president of Yates Bleachery Company and a friend of the University of Tennessee. To read more about the fellowship, please visit gradschool.utk.edu/graduate-fellowships. Rebecca, congratulations again on receiving this prestigious award. It’s a well-deserved success.
“The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) is an organization that promotes the commercialization of UT intellectual property, encourages an entrepreneurial culture, contributes to state and regional economic development, and promotes research and education to benefit the people of Tennessee and beyond.” Recently, UTRF celebrated the work of several faculty and staff during the UTRF Innovation Awards luncheon. We would like to congratulate the many individuals in our department that were recognized at the event. Listed below are the EPP faculty and staff award winners and collaborating colleagues that were recognized in the respective categories: Recent Licenses: Robert Trigiano, Sarah Boggess, and Phillipp Wadl; Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes, Heba Abdelgaffar, and Rafael Ferreira Dos Santos Recently Issued Patents:
Pyrus calleryana Decne. (Callery pear) is a deciduous tree native to China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. It is a popular ornamental tree in the United States (US) with early spring blooms and vibrant fall color. There are at least 26 cultivars of P. calleryana available in the US of which “Bradford” is the most well-known. Open-pollinated P. calleryana escapees are becoming one of the most common invasive tree species in the eastern United States. Developing better management practices for invasive P. calleryana requires detailed knowledge about reproductive biology and genetic diversity of the species, however, little is currently known about genetic variability within those open-pollinated populations. We investigated genetic diversity and population structure of non-cultivated, escaped P. calleryana populations
Doctoral candidate Julian Cosner has been featured in the 2022 Spring issue of Our Tennessee. In the article “Nipping it in the Bud”, Julian discusses his research and how he wishes to provide research-based information that helps farmers. Cosner is advised by Dr. Jerome Grant and has a concentration in Sustainable Disease and Integrated Pest Management. To read more about Cosner and his work, visit https://our.tennessee.edu/2022/nipping-it-in-the-bud/.
Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week (GPSAW) is an opportunity to show our gratitude to graduate and professional students for their work and contributions to the university. The 2022 GPSAW will take place April 4 – 9 and will consist of events held by multiple departments and colleges throughout campus. During this week, the Graduate Student Senate (GSS) and The Graduate School will also be hosting an award ceremony to recognize students, staff, and faculty award recipients for their outstanding work and accomplishments. We are happy to announce three members of our department who will receive awards at the 2022 Graduate Student Senate Awards Reception: Trinity Hamm, Sarah Boggess, and Kassie Hollabaugh. We would like to thank them
On Monday, April 11, 2022, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture will be honoring UTIA employees with 25 or more years of service. This year, Dr. Kimberly Gwinn and Dr. Darrell Hensley will both be honored at the UTIA Service Awards Reception as they each have 35 years of service. We would like to thank you both for your hard work and dedication. Congratulations on 35 years with UTIA! You both are a source of inspiration and motivation.
Congratulations to Ryan Kuster for passing his qualifying exams this spring semester. Kuster is advised by Dr. Staton.
