College of Arts + Sciences Seminar SeriesCuriosity, Science, & Agriculture

Curiosity, Science, & Agriculture
Dr. Jaime Willbur Assistant Professor, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences
Michigan State University

Thursday, February 29, 2023

With roots in southwest Michigan and a catalyst in chemical biology, we will explore an unanticipated path to agricultural research. In my current role as the Michigan State University Potato and Sugar Beet pathologist, we work at the crossroads of many disciplines, including chemistry, biology, microbiology, crop and soil science, meteorology and climatology, engineering, technology, and food science. Our work with regionally and internationally important agricultural crops is further built on multifaceted interactions with farmers, agri-business professionals, commodity and scientific organizations, policy and regulatory agencies, as well as a diverse network of academic, public, and private researchers. These connections enable our research and extension program to develop integrated management strategies for current and emerging potato and sugar beet diseases. Current investigations of pathogen biology, ecology, and disease epidemiology help us develop tools, including predictive models and monitoring technologies, for use in effective and economical disease management. We will examine the influence of how curiosity and experimentation through defining undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate experiences have led to and shaped our current research activities.