Vampire Plants, Witchweeds, and Other Sinister Parasitic Plants

In this episode, Dr. Jim Westwood, Professor of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University joins host Matt Kasson to discuss parasitic plants and his lab’s work on their novel structures and mechanisms for information exchange with their hosts. He also discusses his time in the Peace Corps in Mauritania and as a Fulbright Scholar in France along with management strategies used against parasitic plants both in the U.S. and abroad. Show Notes Dr. Westwood’s Virginia Tech profile: https://spes.vt.edu/faculty-staff/faculty/westwood-james.html Dr. Westwood’s lab website: https://spes.vt.edu/faculty-staff/faculty/westwood-james/westwood-lab.html Dr. Westwood’s google scholar page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_Q1dozYAAAAJ&hl=en Virginia Tech write-up on Dr. Westwood’s NSF Plant Genome Grant using parasitic plants to edit host plant genomes: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/12/parasitic-weeds-tool-for-altering-plant-genomics-collaboration-nsf.html This episode is produced by Association Briefings (https://associationbriefings.com). Special Guest: Jim Westwood.

In this episode, Dr. Libby Cieniewicz, Associate Professor of Plant Virology in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Clemson University joins host Matt Kasson to discuss general plant virology and her lab’s work in plant virus ecology and epidemiology across diverse fruit production systems. She also discusses the challenges of managing plant viruses and their disease vectors and advocating for grad student-led associations. Show Notes Dr. Cieniewicz’s Clemson profile: https://www.clemson.edu/cafls/faculty_staff/profiles/ecienie Dr. Cieniewicz’s lab website: https://cieniewiczviruslab.weebly.com/ Dr. Cieniewicz’s google scholar page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=U_Vq9cEAAAAJ SeedWorld article on Dr. Cieniewicz’s collaborative work on peach diseases: https://www.seedworld.com/us/2023/07/18/climate-change-isnt-the-only-challenge-south-carolinas-peaches-have-faced/ This episode is produced by Association Briefings (https://associationbriefings.com). Special Guest: Libby Cieniewicz.

In this episode, PhD student Isako (Izzi) Di Tomassi from the Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Program in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University joins host Matt Kasson to discuss her formative research experiences as an early career plant pathologist, the challenges of losing her graduate advisor due to unprecedented reorganization across the USDA, and her motivation for co-creating and co-organizing the McClintock Letters Initiative. She also discusses her love of teaching and the importance of effective science communication in modern day academia. Show Notes Izzi Di Tomassi’s Cornell profile: https://cals.cornell.edu/people/isako-di-tomassi Izzi Di Tomassi’s website: https://blogs.cornell.edu/isakoditomassi/ Science article on the McClintock Letters Initiative: https://www.science.org/content/article/u-s-researchers-are-speaking-science-local-newspapers This episode is produced by Association Briefings (https://associationbriefings.com). Special Guest: Isako Di Tomassi.

In this episode, Dr. Bob Kemerait, Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Georgia, Tipton joins host Matt Kasson to discuss his long career as an extension plant pathologist working primarily on peanut and cotton diseases both across the southeastern U.S. and internationally in the Philippines, Haiti and Guyana. He discusses the busy life of an extension plant pathologist, the importance of international research in providing perspective, and the value of building long-term working relationships with growers and producers. Dr. Kemerait also discusses the future of extension and his hopes for the future of our profession. Show Notes Dr. Bob Kemerait's University of Nebraska academic profile: https://plantpath.caes.uga.edu/people/faculty/bob-kemerait.html Dr. Bob Kemerait's Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=huyXlmwAAAAJ&hl=en Dr. Bob Kemerait's recent article for Farm Progress 'It may be quiet, but peanut diseases aren’t sleeping': https://www.farmprogress.com/peanut/it-may-be-quiet-but-peanut-diseases-aren-t-sleeping This episode is produced by Association Briefings (https://associationbriefings.com). Special Guest: Bob Kemerait.

In this episode, 2025 APS Fellow Dr. Carolyn Young, Professor of Plant Pathology and Department Head of Entomology and Plant Pathology at North Carolina State University joins host Matt Kasson to discuss her non-traditional career path as a research scientist in New Zealand and the U.S. along with her passion for fungal endophytes, effectors and secondary metabolites, and phytobiomes. She also discusses the challenges that academia is currently facing, but also the importance of our communities, outreach, and science communication. Show Notes Dr. Young's North Carolina State University academic profile: https://cals.ncsu.edu/entomology-and-plant-pathology/people/cyoung6/ Dr. Young's Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KKa2eyYAAAAJ&hl=en Dr. Young's APS Fellow Feature: https://www.apsnet.org/members/give-awards/awards/Fellows/Pages/Carolyn-Young.aspx This episode is produced by Association Briefings (https://associationbriefings.com). Special Guest: Carolyn Young.

In this episode, Dr. Michael Boehm, Professor of Plant Pathology, Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Harlan Vice Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska joins host Matt Kasson to discuss his 2025 APS Fellow Award, his decades long career as an academic leader at both The Ohio State University and The University of Nebraska, and his diverse and meaningful experiences serving in the U.S. military. He discusses the challenges that academia faces along with the opportunities for change. Dr. Boehm also discusses the importance of extension and outreach and service to our profession. Show Notes Dr. Michael Boehm's University of Nebraska academic profile: https://nebraska.edu/meet-our-people/chancellors-and-vice-presidents/mike-boehm Dr. Michael Boehm's Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=m5NYCM8AAAAJ&hl=en Dr. Boehm's Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet for 'Plants get sick too!': https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/plpath-gen-1 This episode is produced by Association Briefings (https://associationbriefings.com). Special Guest: Michael Boehm.

In this episode, Dr. Tim Widmer, Plant Pathologist and former USDA ARS scientist and National Program Leader joins host Matt Kasson to discuss his 2025 APS Fellow Award, his career as a federal researcher focused on biological control and emerging pathogens, and his more recent role as USDA ARS program leader. He discusses the challenges that service-minded scientists face in today's changing political and funding landscape, while encouraging those that are able to pursue federal positions to do so help shape the future of agriculture and plant health. Show Notes Dr. Tim Widmer's USDA Under The Microscope Interview: https://www.ars.usda.gov/oc/utm/so-much-depends-upon-a-strong-green-bough-the-vital-importance-of-plant-health/ Dr. Tim Widmer’s ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Timothy-L-Widmer-37720758 This episode is produced by Association Briefings (https://associationbriefings.com). Special Guest: Tim Widmer.

In this episode, Dr. Karen Garrett, Preeminent Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida and current APS President joins host Matt Kasson to discuss her research journey and diverse research program on tropical and international agriculture, microbiomes, epidemiology and disease ecology among others. She discusses the various ways APS is supporting and advocating for its members during a time of uncertainty and rapid policy change. She also highlights some of the exciting workshops and speakers for Plant Health 2025. Show Notes Dr. Karen Garrett’s University of Florida Faculty Profile: https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/people/faculty-pages/karen-garrett/ Dr. Karen Garrett’s Lab Webpage: https://www.garrettlab.com/ Dr. Karen Garrett’s Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8dMWriAAAAAJ&hl=en APS Member Support and Resources​: https://www.apsnet.org/members/engagement/Pages/Support-resources.aspx Aps Plant Health 2025 Webpage: https://www.apsnet.org/meetings/annual/PH2025/Pages/default.aspx This episode is produced by Association Briefings (https://associationbriefings.com). Special Guest: Karen Garrett.

In this episode, Dr. Marisol Quintanilla, Assistant Professor of Nematology in the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University joins host Matt Kasson to discuss her research on plant parasitic nematodes in Michigan’s vegetable, fruit, and field crops. She discusses the various life strategies and management approaches for diverse nematodes threatening U.S. soybean, hops, and sugar beet production among other crops. She also talks about the challenges of engaging with the general public outside of growers and farmers given the cryptic lifestyles of these microscopic roundworms that thrive beneath our feet. Show Notes Dr. Marisol Quintanilla’s Michigan State University Faculty Profile: https://www.canr.msu.edu/people/marisol_quintanilla MSU Extension Fruit and Nuts article featuring entomopathogenic nematodes: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/advances-on-the-management-of-the-spotted-wing-drosophila-with-entomopathogenic-nematodes Summary of Dr. Quintanilla’s grant to study Potato Early Dying Disease: https://www.thepacker.com/news/produce-crops/researchers-seek-new-strategies-combat-yield-reducing-potato-disease Dr. Marisol Quintanilla 's Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=a1XCPT8AAAAJ&hl=en This episode is produced by Association Briefings (https://associationbriefings.com). Special Guest: Marisol Quintanilla.

In this episode, Dr. Kranthi Mandadi, Professor of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Weslaco, Texas, joins host Matt Kasson to discuss his basic and translational research of fastidious (unculturable) plant pathogens including the causal agents of citrus greening disease (HLB) and zebra chip disease. He talks about his lab's innovative approaches to combatting plant diseases throughout the southern U.S. and his Texas-sized ambitions to develop solutions through public-private partnerships with industry. He also discusses the challenges of working with obligate unculturable plant pathogens and the need to balance basic science pursuits with high-risk / high-reward research. Show Notes Texas A & M University Plant Pathology and Microbiology Faculty Profile: https://plantpathology.tamu.edu/people/mandadi-kranthi/ Mandadi Lab webpage: https://agrilife.org/mandadilab/group/ 2024 APS Syngenta Award Profile​: https://www.apsnet.org/members/give-awards/awards/Syngenta/Pages/2024-Syngenta_Mandadi.aspx Farm Progress article on Dr. Mandadi: https://www.farmprogress.com/fruit/scientists-shift-from-defense-to-offense-to-fight-citrus-greening Dr. Kranthi Mandadi's Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rWVhJ94AAAAJ&hl=en ‪ This episode is produced by Association Briefings (https://associationbriefings.com). Special Guest: Kranthi Mandadi.