July 10, 2024
K-State plant pathology hosts successful multistate conference with awardees recognized
The K-State department of plant pathology recently hosted the 2024 North Central Division Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society, or NC-APS, June 10-12. There were more than 160 attendees from all across the region, including representatives from all of the 12 member states and bordering provinces of Canada.
The conference included four workshops, a welcome reception at the Flint Hills Discovery Center, a plenary session, 18 presentations in the student oral competition, a poster session — 68 total, including 43 in student competition — and an awards banquet.
Plenary talks included:
- "Plant Health in an Evolving One Health Concept: The Nature and Rationale for Inclusion" by Jim Stack, K-State plant pathology.
- "Advancing Digital Agriculture for Improving Agronomic Decisions" by Ignacio Ciampitti, K-State agronomy.
- "Team-based Learning: A Strategy to Enhance Student Engagement in Undergraduate Courses" by Leonor Leandro, Iowa State University.
Multiple members of the plant pathology department were among the winners recognized at the awards banquet:
- Early Career Award: Jessica Rupp Noller, associate professor.
- Student travel awardees: Letícia Câmara Vieira, Claudio Dias da Silva and Lawrence Tidakbi.
- Postdoc travel awardee: Raissa DeBacker.
- First place, student poster competition: Madison Kessler.
The planning committee included Megan Kennelly, conference chair and NC-APS president, 2023-2024; Chris Little, scientific program chair; Jessica Rupp Noller, student competition chair; Kelsey Andersen Onofre, local arrangements chair; Rodrigo Onofre, sponsorship chair; and Marty Draper, early/mid/distinguished awards review process chair. Jim Stack and Giovana Cruppe led a plant biosecurity workshop. Judy O'Mara, Chandler Day and Jessica Rupp Noller offered a daylong wheat virus workshop with field and lab components.
Additional members of the department also contributed to the success of the meeting by helping with planning, registration table logistics, poster judging, facilitating table discussions during the early career workshop, and many other key activities.