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College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 
Entomology and Plant Pathology

Plant Pathology Graduate Student Association

The Plant Pathology Graduate Student Association (PPGSA) is a departmental organization developed to act as a liaison between the graduate students and faculty, to assist in departmental functions, and to offer suggestions to the department head concerning the improvement of policies and procedures.

Special interests of the PPGSA are recruitment and orientation of new graduate students, improvement of facilities and curriculum, development of activities to improve the cohesiveness of the graduate student body within the department, and outreach to community groups. To address these objectives, the PPGSA is very involved in departmental events such as seminar and symposia speaker selection, hosting students recruited by the department, coordinating departmental academic and social events, and implementing programs to educate growers, extension agents, master gardeners, and students of all ages.

Rosie Perez Seminar

The Rosie Perez Seminar is an annual symposium hosted by the PPGSA. The organization invites a notable scientist in plant pathology or a related area to give a presentation on their research. The seminar is named in memory of Rosie Perez, a former student who died from cancer. Past speakers have included Dr. Mary Hausbeck, Michigan State University (2015) and Dr. Bonnie Bassler, Princeton University (2013).

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Rosie Perez

2024-2025 Graduate Student Association Officers

  • President: Peyton Labonte
  • Vice President: Emma Morris
  • Treasurer: Sarah Cates
  • Outreach Coordinator: Bryna Haile
  • Seminar Chair: Jake Seiter
  • Social Media & Social Chair: Bryna Haile
  • UGSA Representative: Kimberly Montalban

PPGSA Outreach Committee

The PPGSA outreach committee’s goal is to increase awareness of challenges in food production. We are dedicated to informing the community about agriculture, plant sciences, and tools we use to provide good food for all. We have presented information on plants and the pathogens that infect them to master gardeners, growers, and students of all ages. We also organize students to participate in BugFest and Triangle SciTech Expo at the Raleigh Museum of Natural Science. The outreach group was formed as a service to the community and to give current graduate students an opportunity to share their discipline with others.