Presentations by MMS Graduate Scholarship Recipients

Our May 12th meeting will be shared remotely via Zoom.

2025 marks the 11th year that MMS will award scholarships supporting graduate work in mycology in honor of beloved MMS members James Swanson and Doris Johannes. Stay tuned for more details about this year’s recipients and their work.

Come check out these presentations highlighting their graduate thesis topics!

Speaker 1: José E. Solórzano

Identifying the diversity of Phyllachora species causing tar spot of corn and their host range

Jose’s current research focuses on identifying whether the invasive fungus Phyllachora maydis infects plants other than corn in the Midwest that may act as pathogen reservoirs. His research aims to 1) identify the diversity of Phyllachora species infecting corn in the Midwest, 2) know the host range of Phyllachora maydis, and 3) determine if other Phyllachora fungi that infect grasses can infect corn. He developed methods to inoculate corn with different Phyllachora species collected in the Midwest. He will also conduct molecular analyses to detect Phyllachora species in corn and investigate whether other plants can harbor the corn tar spot pathogen or serve as alternative hosts.

José is a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, researching the biology, pathogenicity, and epidemiology of Phyllachora maydis, the invasive fungus responsible for the economically significant tar spot disease in corn. A recent member of the Minnesota Mycological Society, he is also an active member of the Mycological Society of America, where he led the creation of and currently leads the organization “SPORES”, a mentoring program for undergraduate students. He is also a member of the Mycology Club at the University of Minnesota and participates in journal club discussions and extracurricular activities.

Recent publications:

• Tar Spot of Corn: A Diagnostic and Methods Guide
• Foliar Inoculation of Phyllachora maydis into Corn Induces Infection and Local Spread in Field Environments
• A new and effective method to induce infection of Phyllachora maydis into corn for tar spot studies in controlled environments

Speaker 2: Courtney C. Meeks

Assessment of common disease management tools for cold-climate wine grapes

Coming from her Master’s program in the Holland Lab, Courtney’s research aimed to assess alternative fungicide spray programs for cold-climate vineyards. Specifically, comparing organic and reduced application fungicide programs (Meeks & Holland, 2024) to a standard commercial program in managing five common plant fungal pathogens: Diaporthe ampelina, Elsinoe ampelina, Erysiphe necator, Plasmopara viticola, and Phyllosticta ampelicida. Her PhD research combines both field and laboratory research by assessing and determining fungicide resistance in Wisconsin vineyards. The goal of all her research is to provide information to vineyards, specifically the relationship between their management strategies and fungal grape pathogens. Fungicides are a critical tool for managing diseases in vineyards; however, their usage should be strategic to ensure efficiency and durability.

Courtney is a PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison in Dr. Leslie Holland’s Fruit Crop Pathology Lab. Her first research project pertaining to mycology was in 2018 at the University of Georgia (UGA) where she worked alongside Dr. Marin Brewer to utilize fungal morphology and phylogenetics to identify a new fungal species of the genus Neofusicoccum (Brewer et. al, 2021). After her molecular fungal experiences in the Brewer lab, she wanted to gain field-based experiences. This led to Dr. Phillip Brannen’s Fruit Crop Pathology Extension lab where she conducted a basal field study examining the infection period of Monilinia fructicola on peaches. After graduating from UGA, she knew that graduate school was the next step, which led her to the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Connect with Courtney at LinkedIn or X: @fruitpathlady

Presentations are recorded and posted a few days later on the MMS YouTube channel.

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