Academics

Kang elected Fellow of American Phytopathological Society

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Seogchan Kang, professor of plant pathology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society (APS), an honor given to members in recognition of distinguished contributions to the discipline of plant pathology.

Kang was recognized for developing cyberinfrastructure for knowledge preservation and sharing; creating innovative research tools to support molecular and cellular analyses of fungal interaction with plants and the environment; and helping the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to enhance the state's preparedness for and response to several groups of invasive exotic pathogens.

"The prestigious Fellow Award is given to members of the American Phytopathology Society who have had the greatest impact in our field," said Carolee Bull, professor and head of the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology.

"In addition to outstanding research in the field of molecular plant-microbe interactions and sustained service to the APS, Professor Kang is dedicated to developing public databases to share information that has enabled accurate and rapid pathogen diagnosis and monitoring of plant pathogens," she said. "With this award, his peers recognize that his work places him among the most successful scientists in our discipline, and it is well deserved."

Kang was born in Seoul, Korea, and received his bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry from Seoul National University in 1983 and 1985, respectively. He earned a doctoral degree in fungal genetics from the University of Wisconsin in 1991.

After working at DuPont (1991 to 1994), Purdue University (1994 to 1995) and the University of New Mexico (1995 to 1997), he joined the faculty at Penn State, where he participates in three intercollege graduate degree programs. The primary focus of his research has been on the molecular and cellular basis of fungal interaction with plants, other microbes and the environment.

He also has worked on a wide range of other questions and problems, primarily at the intersection of cyberscience and taxonomy. He has been a senior editor of Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions since 2013 and has served APS either as a member or chair of four APS committees, its Publications Board, and its Office of Electronic Communication.

More information about Kang and his recognition can be found at http://www.apsnet.org/members/awards/Fellows/Pages/SeogchanKang.aspx.

Last Updated May 18, 2017