Purdue University. Department of Botany and Plant Pathology

Biography

The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology had its beginning with the appointment of Dr. J. C. Arthur as the first Botanist of the Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station in 1887. Much of the early research was in the classical botanical areas, but time was devoted to identification and control of noxious weeds, fungicides and their applications, and other applied problems of Indiana agriculture. The various missions of the Department have changed over the years, and in the 1930’s, the department name was changed to The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology. However, the emphasis on the more fundamental aspects in not only plant pathology, but also genetics, plant physiology, mycology, virology, weed science, and other areas has been a central theme in the history of the research, teaching, and service of the department. The very first Ph.D. degree awarded from Purdue University was to a student in the Department of Botany in 1897. Teaching within the department traditionally has been strong in the graduate arena. Today the Department has over 22 faculty members who teach and mentor our graduate student population. The faculty continue to recruit top students into the program and pride themselves on producing well-rounded researchers. In 1971, an undergraduate option in Crop Protection was introduced jointly with the Department of Entomology. In 1990, the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology introduced their own option in Plant Science. In 2001, a third undergraduate option titled Environmental Plant Studies was introduced as well as the Plant Science option name change to Plant Biology. The College of Agriculture made a college wide effort in 2012 to reduce the number of majors to prevent confusion during recruitment. As a result, the Department consolidated down to one major, Plant Science. Within that major students can choose from three areas of concentration; Plant Cell and Molecular Biology, Plant Ecology and Environment, or Plant Health Management.

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