PULLMAN, Wash.- Hanu R. Pappu, an associate professor and holder of the President Samuel Smith Endowed Chair in Plant Virology at Washington State University, has been named chair of WSU’s plant pathology department.
Pappu succeeded WSU professor and plant pathologist Timothy D. Murray on December 2.
“It is truly a privilege to be selected as chair of the Department of Plant Pathology and I thank the CAHNRS administration for their continued support. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff and students,” Pappu said.
Pappu received his bachelor’s degree in agriculture from A.P. Agricultural University in Bapatla, India, his master’s degree from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi, India and his doctorate degree in plant pathology from the University of Alberta, Edmonton. Pappu did post-doctoral work at the University of Florida, was associate professor at the University of Georgia and worked as a biotechnologist at the Biotechnology Regulatory Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in Riverdale, Md. Pappu began working at WSU in October 2002.
Scientists in WSU’s plant pathology department are involved in research, teaching, graduate training, and extension. They conduct research in basic and applied aspects of a diverse groups of plant pathogens to find solutions for disease problems in crops throughout the Pacific Northwest, the nation, and the world. The plant pathology department is based in Pullman, with additional facilities in Prosser, Puyallup, Mount Vernon, Wenatchee, and at the University of Washington in Seattle.
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