Plant Pathology Alums Doing Amazing Work!

Plant Pathology Alums come from every background and pursue a variety of career paths.  Check out what a few of our Plant Pathology alums are doing below: 

Dr Shaoyan ZhangDr. Shaoyan Zhang, '19 '20 Plant Pathology - Shaoyan studied the molecular biology of viruses with Dr. Feng Qu.  His research uncovered new and important information that is important to understanding how viruses replicate, with potential applications for viruses of plants, animals and humans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Coralie FarinasDr. Coralie Farinas, '18 '20 Plant Pathology - Coralie is serving on the Public Policy Board for the American Phytopathological Society, a group that works to inform Congress and decision makers about plant health issues and funding needs.  She is passionate about working to inform public policy makers about science-based issues.  Currently working for Ball Horticultural Co. in California.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Anna TestenDr. Anna Testen, '17 Plant Pathology - just started a new position at the USDA ARS Application Technology Research Unit in Wooster to work with horticultural crops (with an emphasis in controlled environment agriculture).  Anna completed her Ph.D. in plant pathology in 2013, studying with Dr. Sally Miller. She worked in Tanzania with farmers to establish disease management programs for tomatoes and other vegetables.  She has done a lot of work with anaerobic soil disinfestation, which is an organic method of reducing disease, insect and weeds in the soil before planting.  She has spent the past few years at the USDA, North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, part of the National Plant Germplasm System. 

 

 

Dr. Abasola SimonDr. Abasola Simon, '15 Plant Pathology - completed his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology the end of Summer 2020.  He surveyed and studied plant parasitic nematodes of corn in Ohio, completing an extensive multi-year study about how changes in production, tillage, crop rotation and other practices impact the plant parasitic nematodes.  He studied with Pierce Paul and Terry Niblack.  He is now only third plant pathologist from Guyana, South America – following in the footsteps of his advisor, Pierce Paul (also from Guyana).  

 

 

 

Dr. Kara CasyDr. Kara (Riggs) Casy, '10 Plant Pathology & Entomology - Kara went on to earn her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri.  She is now the Director of Urban Agriculture & Renewable Resources at Dallas College, El Centro Campus.  She is active on social media for this program that focuses on sustainable agriculture.  Kara was a star here at Ohio State!  She won first place in the agriculture category at the Denman Forum when she was a freshman!  Her interest began in middle or high school, when she read about plant sciences and phytoalexins in a book.  From Sunbury, she went to the public library where a librarian told her it would be “too hard.”  Determined more than ever, she sought help and was eventually connect to Dr. Terry Graham in Plant Pathology.  He helped her with her science fair project, and she would come to Ohio State and work in his lab for four years.