Plantopia

In this episode, join host Matt Kasson as he engages in a conversation with Dr. Megan McCaghey, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. McCaghey shares insights into her career journey shaped by agriculture, the deliberate choice to pursue a master's degree before a PhD, and her ongoing research on Southern blight and Phytophthora sojae. The discussion also explores her current and future teaching commitments, the transformative impact of the pandemic on her teaching methods, mentoring and networking approaches, and valuable advice for early-career scientists.

Show notes

UMN Department of Plant Pathology Faculty Profile here: https://plpa.cfans.umn.edu/people/megan-mccaghey

McCaghey Lab Website: https://mccagheylab.cfans.umn.edu/

Find Megan McCaghey on X (formerly Twitter): @MN_Soil_Fungi

2023 Research Highlight on Dr. McCaghey’s work on Soybeans by the Soybean Research and Information Network: Improving Tools for Soybean Breeders to Fight White Mold

Recent APS Press Publication: Webster, R.W., McCaghey, M., Mueller, B.D., Groves, C.L., Mathew, F.M., Singh, A.K., Kabbage, M. and Smith, D.L., 2023. Development of Glycine max Germplasm Highly Resistant to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. PhytoFrontiers™, 3(3), pp.629-638. https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/full/10.1094/PHYTOFR-01-23-0009-R

This episode is produced by Association Briefings.

Special Guest: Megan McCaghey.

In the season 4 premier of Plantopia, new host Matt Kasson, associate professor of forest pathology and mycology at West Virginia University, talks to Dr. Jim Bradeen, season 2 and 3 host of Plantopia, professor of plant pathology, and associate vice president at Colorado State University Spur Campus. The two discussed what interested Jim in plant sciences, what he's passionate about, the importance of pursuing a master's degree, his impact on the establishment of CSU's Spur Campus, advice for students and people in academia, leadership, and the future of Plantopia.

Show notes

The full transcript for this episode can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/5n8zrkfs

Colorado State University Faculty Profile here: https://president.colostate.edu/presidents-office-team/

CSU SPUR Profile: https://csuspur.org/profiles/jim-bradeen/

Find Jim Bradeen on X (formerly Twitter): @JimBradeen

Find Jim Bradeen on BlueSky: @jimbradeen.bsky.social

This episode is produced by Association Briefings.

Special Guest: Jim Bradeen.

In this episode, Dr. Rubella Goswami, director for the Plant Protection Division at USDA’s-National Institute of Food and Agriculture, joins host Jim Bradeen to talk about her vast career in plant pathology, how a global perspective influenced her career, transitioning from academia to industry, the challenges for women in science, and advice for young professionals in the field.

Show notes

The full transcript for this episode can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/3buv4jse

This episode is produced by Association Briefings.

Special Guest: Rubella Goswami.

In this episode, recorded live at the 12th International Congress of Plant Pathology in Lyon, France, Dr. Yong-Hwan Lee, president of the International Society for Plant Pathology, joins host Jim Bradeen to talk about global plant health, his career in plant pathology, opportunities and challenges facing the industry, academic leadership, international collaborations, and a preview of the next International Congress of Plant Pathology, held in Australia in 2028.

Show notes

The full transcript for this episode can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/yc7a5vfk

For more information on that International Society for Plant Pathology: https://www.isppweb.org

This episode is produced by Association Briefings.

Special Guest: Yong-Hwan Lee.

In this episode, recorded live at the 12th International Congress Of Plant Pathology in Lyon, France, Dr. Justin Pita, Executive Director

Special Guest: Justin Pita.

In this episode, Evelyn Planter Heidt, a masters student in both plant pathology and entomology at Iowa State University, joins host Jim Bradeen for a conversation about her passions, goals and impact in plant pathology. The two chat about her career journey in the field; her involvement in the World Food Prize; her ongoing research on mung beans, its importance to the U.S., and its genetic diversity; and the use of AI in agriculture.

Show notes

The full transcript for this episode can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/2tdvyu5c

You can find her on LinkedIn @Evelyn Planter Heidt

Publication: Batzer, J.C., Sing, A., Platner, E., Kandel, Y. and Mueller, D.S. 2022. Screening Mungbean Accession for Susceptibility to Soybean Fungal Diseases in Iowa. Plant Health Progress Volume 23:456-465.

This episode is produced by Association Briefings.

Special Guest: Evelyn Planter Heidt.

In this episode, recorded live at the 12th International Congress Of Plant Pathology in Lyon, France, Mathias Choquer, co-chair of ICCP23, joins host Jim Bradeen to talk about this year's event, the French Society of Plant Pathology, reasons why early career professionals should get involved in their societies, his research into the gray mold fungus Botrytis cinerea and vesicular trafficking, and his passion for education.

Show notes

The full transcript for this episode can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/2ec4c6v9

French Society of Plant Pathology: https://www.sfp-asso.org/presentation-in-english

International Congress of Plant Pathology: https://www.icpp2023.org

This episode is produced by Association Briefings.

Special Guest: Mathias Choquer.

In this episode, Dr. Prasanna Kankanala, director of research and development at Trace Genomics, joins host Jim Bradeen for a conversation about her career in plant pathology. The two chat about her career journey in the field, the advantages of having a career in industry, some of the most common misperceptions of industry careers in plant pathology, the importance of mentorship, microbiomes, and some of the biggest opportunities available for agriculture.

Show notes

The full transcript for this episode can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/3vkr3as9

This episode is produced by Association Briefings.

Special Guest: Prasanna Kankanala.

In this episode, Dr. Mary Palm, former National Mycologist with USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine, joins host Jim Bradeen for a conversation about her career in mycology. The two chat about her career journey in mycology, her passion for fungi, her impactful career with USDA APHIS and the influential people she met along the way, the skills needed to be a national mycologist, her leadership roles in the American Phytopathological Society and the Mycology Society of America, and the importance of getting involved.

Show notes

The full transcript for this episode can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/yv2zp5mp

This episode is produced by Association Briefings.

Special Guest: Mary Palm.

In this episode, Ric Dunkle, PhD, Senior Director of Seed Health and Trade for the American Seed Trade Association, joins host Jim Bradeen for an engaging conversation about seed quality and research. The two chat about Ric's career journey in seed pathology, seed pathogens and microbes, international seed trade, the importance of the American Seed Trade Association, and advice for young professionals wanting to have a career in seed pathology.

Show notes

The full transcript for this episode can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/PlantopiaS3E5

For more information on the American Seed Trade Association, visit https://www.betterseed.org

For more information on APS courses, visit https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/resources/Courses/Pages/default.aspx

For more information on APS' Professional Development for Educators, visit https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/resources/Courses/Pages/default.aspx

This episode is produced by Association Briefings.

Special Guest: Ric Dunkle, PhD.