From the Department Head

Elizabeth Grabau
department head

Greetings Alumni, Students, Friends, and Colleagues:

The arrival of summer gives us a chance to take stock of our accomplishments for the year and share those successes with our alumni and friends. Thanks to all of you who visited the department during the past year or responded to last year's newsletter. We enjoyed and very much appreciated hearing what you are doing. I would like to extend an invitation to all of you to keep us updated. In September 2007 the department underwent a comprehensive review of our programs--our first since 2000. The review team was coordinated by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service. The department was commended for its productivity in the tripartite mission of research, teaching and extension, and noted for its collegial and collaborative environment. Further evidence of the success of our programs can be documented through large sponsored awards obtained by PPWS faculty this past year:

• Boris Vinatzer was awarded a prestigious Career Award from the National Science Foundation for his work in evolutionary genomics of Pseudomonas syringae.
• David Schmale received a USDA National Research Initiative Award in Plant Biosecurity.
• John McDowell and Brett Tyler were funded by the National Science Foundation for a collaborative project on Oomycete Effector Proteins.
• Jim Westwood was part of a joint Parasitic Plant Genome Project.
• And most recently, Steve Rideout received notice of a grant from the USDA-CSREES Methyl Bromide Transitions Program.

Other achievements include graduation of four students, recognition of the Turf Team among the top three turf programs in the country, and other events hosted by our department, which are highlighted inside this newsletter. As always, check the PPWS website (http://www.ppws.vt.edu) for current activities, events and other information.