Three scientists in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences are newly named members of the Washington State Academy of Sciences for 2026.
The elections were announced Thursday, July 16, by the Academy, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that serves as the state’s independent science advisory body.
CAHNRS scientists make up three of the nine total Washington State University scientists named to the academy this year. Read about all nine academy members at WSU Insider.
New members include:
Lindsey du Toit, Professor and Department Chair, Department of Plant Pathology
WSU Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center
Dr. du Toit was recognized for outstanding research contributions to plant pathology and food security, and for leadership at the statewide, national, and global levels, including serving as past president of the American Phytopathological Society and current chair of the WSU Department of Plant Pathology. She joined the faculty of NWREC in 2000, where she studies the origins, spread, and management of diseases affecting important vegetable and vegetable seed crops.
Girish Ganjyal, Professor and Extension Food Processing Specialist
School of Food Science and WSU Extension
Ganjyal, who arrived at WSU’s School of Food Science in 2013, was honored for pioneering work in food processing research and extension, contributing to crop, product, and market diversity, and for providing critical training to food industry professionals to bolster both human health and the regional economic landscape. He established the Food Processing Extension and Research program at WSU, and his research is focused on addressing practical issues in food ingredients and the processing of various crops, including pulses, quinoa, buckwheat, wheat, corn, barley, millets, and others.
Mark Lange, Professor and Director
Institute of Biological Chemistry
Lange was honored for elucidating the biochemical pathways underlying the formation of essential oils, resins, and plant natural products, translating these discoveries into commercial cultivars, and bridging the gap between academia and the biotechnology industry. Lange came to WSU as a postdoctoral researcher in 1997 from his native Germany. He worked at WSU’s Institute of Biological Chemistry (IBC) for more than three years before leaving for a role in the biotechnology industry. He returned to the IBC as a faculty member after spending four years in private industry.
The trio’s election brings the number of current and former CAHNRS scientists named to the academy to 24.
One CAHNRS faculty member, Jonathan Yoder, Distinguished Professor for Sustainable Development in WSU’s School of Economic Sciences, will serve as the academy treasurer for a second term.