Department Recognition

One of the Nation’s Finest! 

In each of three consecutive Academic Analytics assessments of faculty scholarly productivity in doctoral programs nationwide, our Ph.D. program has consistently ranked in the top four in its field, including twice in the Number One spot. The assessments focused on factors such as grants, publications, citations, and awards. Our ranking reflects not only on the quality of the faculty, but also on the many talented and energetic graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, and staff who participate in our research and Extension missions.

National & International Reputation

Faculty in the Department of Plant Pathology have been invited to present their work in Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Nicaragua, Poland, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Uruguay, and throughout the United States.

Recent Accomplishments

• Ms. Yuyan Liu, Graduate Student under Dr. Peter Nagy, placed third with her poster presentation in the 2025 IPSS Symposium.
• Dr. Carl Bradley, Extension Professor, received the 2024 Martin-Gatton Agriculture, Food and Environment Thomas Poe Cooper Research Award.  This award annually recognizes a faculty member for their outstanding research contributions.  The Thomas Poe Cooper Award is the College's premier award for distinguished scientific accomplishment. (November 2024)
• Dr. Aardra Kachroo, Professor, has been recognized by the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) as an inspiring woman in plant biology.  Dr. Kachroo was nominated for her research on plant immunity and for "selflessly serving to empower women in science and plant biology." (May 2024)  
• Dr. Jhonatan Barro, a former graduate student under Dr. Carl Bradley, Extension Professor, recieved third place for the best student paper published in Plant Disease in 2023.  The paper was part of Dr. Barro's PH.D. research.  See also https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/beststudentpapers2023.
• Dr. Robert Louis (Lou) Hirsch, Assistant Professor, Special Title Series, will be receiving the American Phytopathological Society Excellence in Teaching Award during the July 2024 APS Plant Health conference in Memphis TN.  This award recognizes Dr. Hirsch's excellence in teaching plant pathology in multiple courses.  The major criterion for the award is formal (classroom) teaching proficiency, as indicated by the development and effectiveness of courses taught. (July 2024)
• Dr. Pradeep Kachroo, Professor, has been elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a distinguished lifetime honor within the scientific community.  The fellowship recognizes Dr. Kachroo’s distinguished contributions to the field of plant systemic immunity, particularly his work that has expanded genetic and biochemical understanding of the molecular signaling mechanisms underlying systemic acquired resistance. (April 2024)
• Dr. Carl Bradley, Extension Professor, won the 2024 Extinguished Service Award from the Southern Soybean Disease Workers. This is the premiere award for soybean pathologists and recognizes sustained excellence in research and/or Extension for soybean pathology.  The award has very high standards, and Dr. Bradley is in excellent company with many legendary soybean pathologists as past winners. (March 2024)
• Dr. Paul Vincelli, Extension Professor, was elected Fellow of the American Phytopatholgical Society. This is the highest honor an APS member can attain. (March 2024)
• Dr. Carl Bradley, Extension Professor; Dr. Pradeep Kachroo, Professor; Dr. Peter Nagy, Professor; and Dr. Christopher Schardl, Professor, have the honor of being among the top 2 percent of the world's most-cited researchers based on a database compiled by Stanford University in partnership with Elsevier. (December 2023).
• Ms. Huazhen Liu, Ph.D. Graduate Student, received the Myrle E. and Verle D. Nietzel Visiting Distinguished Faculty Program Award. The Nietzel VDF program aims to enrich the dissertation experience for selected doctoral students whose dissertations are judged to be meritorious. Ms. Liu has been a doctoral candidate under Dr. Pradeep Kachroo. (October 2023)
• Dr. Nicole Gauthier, Associate Extension Professor, was honored for her volunteer and leadership roles in an array of American Phytopathological Society (APS) committees within the national and Southern Division organizations. In addition, she was commended for the significant impact she has made on students and early career professionals. (July 2021)  
• Ms. Melissa Molho Medina, Ph.D. Graduate Student, received the Benjamin Nero Student Inclusive Excellence Award. This award recognizes outstanding graduate and professional students at UK’s campus who are working to make our community more inclusive. (May 2020)
• Dr. Pradeep Kachroo, Professor, received the 2020 Thomas Poe Cooper Award for Excellence in Research. This award is presented annually to a member of the CAFE faculty in recognition of outstanding career research achievement. (March 2020) 
• Dr. Robert Louis (Lou) Hirsch, Lecturer, was awarded the 2020 UK Great Teacher Award by the UK Alumni Association. (December 2019)
• Dr. Kiersten Wise, Associate Extension Professor, was a recipient of one of the 2020 Fiscal Year Charles E. Barnhart Fund for Excellence Awards. Her proposal in the UK High School Crop Scouting Competition received funding support. (April 2019)
• The Association of Plant Pathology Scholars (APPS) won the University of Kentucky Lead Blue Civic Engagement 2019 Award. This award honors the work and achievement of associations that have greatly contributed to the inclusion and development of their members, as well as to society, through networking and outreach activities. APPS is the Department of Plant Pathology's graduate student and postdoctoral scholar organization. (April 2019)
• Dr. Michael Goodin, Professor, was honored by the American Society of Microbiology and selected as the 2018 ASM Honorary Diversity Lecturer. He was selected by the board of governors of the American Academy of Microbiology. (June 2018)
• Dr. Robert Louis (Lou) Hirsch, Lecturer, was featured in a UK AgNews article, video, and slideshow in December 2016. These posts focused on Dr. Hirsch's passion and enthusiasm for teaching science to Kentucky high school students as part of his educational outreach for the Department of Plant Pathology.
• Dr. Nicole Gauthier, Assistant Extension Professor, was selected as among the 2016 Top 25 Students, Staff, Faculty, and Alumni within the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment that have contributed to the empowerment of women.  
• Dr. Nicole Gauthier, Assistant Extension Professor, was selected as recipient of the 2015 Kentucky Association of State Extension Professionals (KASEP) Outstanding New Extension Faculty Award.
• Dr. Pradeep Kachroo, Professor, received the Prestigious Research Paper Award at the 2014 Celebration of Land-Grant Research for a paper published in Nature Genetics. Dr. Aardra Kachroo and a number of other department researchers were co-authors on the award-winning paper.
• Dr. Said Ghabrial, Emeritus Professor, wrote a research paper with Hua Li and Wendy Havens that was selected by the editors of Virology and featured in their December 2014 Virology Highlights Blog.
• Dr. Lisa Vaillancourt, Professor, worked with Maria Torres, a former graduate student, who won the 2014 Best Student Paper Prize for Molecular Plant Pathology from The British Society for Plant Pathology for her Ph.D. work with Dr. Vaillancourt.
• Dr. Aardra Kachroo, Associate Professor, was an invited speaker at the 2014 Kentucky Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conference in Louisville, where she presented her research on plant defenses to disease.