Page 24 - TriSociety Virtual Event

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Carolee T. Bull is Professor and Head of the gy and ser ves on the Judicial Committee of
Department of Plant Pathology and Environ­ the International Committee on the Syste­
mental Microbiology at Penn State and the matics of Prokaryotes. Bull provides bacterial
Director of the Penn State Microbiome Center. taxonomy lectures and mentorship workshops
Dr. Bull ser ved 20 years as a Phytobacterio­ for classes, universities, and scientific societies
logist with the USDA/ARS in Salinas, CA prior world­wide. Bull received the highest award
to joining Penn State in 2015. Bull’s research for ser vice to the US in Agriculture for her
focuses on Translational Taxonomy to manage mentorship of underrepresented students in
bacterial diseases of plants and mushrooms. agricultural science in 2013 and is a Fellow of
Bull is the Project Director for an SCRI project the American Phytopathological Society in
using multiple approaches including diagnos ­ 2020.
tic metagenomics to develop management
strategies for of seedborne diseases of cucur­
bit, beet, and chard food and seed crops. Dr.
Bull ser ved as the convener of the Committee
on the Taxonomy of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria
Dr. Carolee Bull for the International Society of Plant Patholo­

Dr. P.V. Vara Prasad is a University Distingui­ scholars from 25 countries; and gave more
shed Professor, R.O. Kruse Endowed Professor than 100 invited talks in 40 diff erent coun­
in Agriculture, and Director of the Sustainable tries. He received more than 120 million US
Intensification Innovation Lab at Kansas dollars in grant funding and donations. He is
State University. His research focuses on an elected fellow of American Society of Agro­
understanding responses of crops to changing nomy; Crop Science Society of America; and
environments; developing best manage­ American Association for the Advancement of
ment strategies to improve yields; providing Science. At present he ser ves on the Interna­
food and nutritional security to smallholder tional Commission on Sustainable Agricultural
farmers; and improving livelihoods of people. Intensification. He is the current President of
He is passionate about research, education, the Crop Science Society of America (2021). He
outreach, building social capital and enhan­ obtained his B.S. and MS from Andhra Pradesh
cing human and institutional capacity around Agricultural University (India) and Ph.D. from
the world. He has active programs in multiple the University of Reading (U.K.).
countries in A sia and Africa. He has published
285 peer­reviewed journal articles and book
Dr. Vara Prasad chapters; trained 160 students and research

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