Graduate Faculty
The Plant Center fosters interaction among plant science researchers across UGA departments, colleges, and campuses, including the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, the Franklin College of Arts & Sciences, the Odum School of Ecology, and the Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources. The Plant Center encompasses researchers not only on the Athens campus, but also at the Griffin and Tifton campuses, and it facilitates exchanges between UGA faculty and USDA research scientists. Their complementary research interests center around plant breeding, genetics, genomics, biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology and evolution.
Madgy Alabady
Associate Research Scientist, Director Georgia Genomics and Bioinformatics Core
Plant Biology, Georgia Genomics Facility
Website | ResearchGate
malabady@uga.edu
functional genomics, epigenetics, small RNA
Jill Anderson
Associate Professor
Genetics, Ecology
Google Scholar
jta24@uga.edu
global change, ecophysiology, natural selection, evolutionary genetics, local adaptation
Sudeep Bag
Assistant Professor
Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar
sudeepbag@uga.edu
molecular virology, virus-host interaction
Bochra Amina Bahri
Assistant Professor
Plant Pathology, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website
bbahri@uga.edu
turfgrass and forage pathology, pathogen population genetics
Jessica Barb
Assistant Research Scientist
Plant Biology, Crop and Soil Sciences, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
jgbarb@uga.edu
small grains breeding and genetics
Maor Bar-Peled
Professor
Plant Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
Website
peled@uga.edu
complex carbohydrates synthesis and regulation, biochemistry and molecular biology
Leonardo M. Bastos
Assistant Professor
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
Website | Google Scholar
lmbastos@uga.edu
integrative precision agriculture, remote sensing, nutrient management, digital agriculture
Jeff Bennetzen
Norman and Doris Giles Professor, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, National Academy of Sciences Member, Lamar Dodd Award (2014)
Genetics, Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar
maize@uga.edu
plant genome structure, function and evolution, orphan crop genetics, microbial interactions with plants and in the soil
David Bertioli
GSD/GRA Distinguished Investigator and Professor
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
bertioli@uga.edu
using wild species to improve the peanut crop, genetics, genomics
Akshaya Kumar Biswal
Assistant Research Scientist
Horticulture
Website
akbiswal@uga.edu
peanut genetics and genomics, tissue culture, and genome editing
Tim Brenneman
Professor
Plant Pathology
Website | ResearchGate
arachis@uga.edu
epidemiology and control of pecan diseases and soil-borne peanut diseases
Marin Brewer
Professor, William Terrell Distinguished Professor
Plant Pathology, Fungal Biology Group
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
mtbrewer@uga.edu
fungal population biology, emerging diseases
C. Robin Buell
Professor
GRA Eminent Scholar Chair in Crop Genomics
Crop and Soil Sciences, Institute of Plant Breeding Genetics and Genomics, Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar
Robin.Buell@uga.edu
plant genome biology with a focus on crops and medicinal plants; synthetic biology, evolution of natural product in biosynthesis
John Burke
Distinguished Research Professor & Head, Creative Research Medal (2013)
Department of Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar
jmburke@uga.edu
crop plant evolution; domestication; adaptation; abiotic stress tolerance; comparative genomics; evolutionary genetics; crop-wild relatives
Shu-Mei Chang
Professor
Plant Biology
Website | ResearchGate
smchang@uga.edu
evolution and ecology of plant reproduction and mating systems
Peng W. Chee
Professor
Crop and Soil Sciences, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory
Website
pwchee@uga.edu
Molecular Cotton Breeding Laboratory
molecular breeding of cotton
Ye (Juliet) Chu
Assistant Professor
Horticulture, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics
Website
ychu@uga.edu
blueberry breeding
Y. Anny Chung
Assistant Professor
Plant Biology, Plant Pathology
Website
yyachung@uga.edu
plant and microbial ecology, competition and coexistence, climate change effects on plant-microbe interactions
Joann Conner
Assistant Research Scientist
Horticulture, National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory
Website
jconner@uga.edu
apospory, angiosperm asexual reproduction
Alan Darvill
Regents Professor, Director of CCRC
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
Website
adarvill@ccrc.uga.edu
plant cell walls
R. Kelly Dawe
Distinguished Research Professor, UGA Athletic Association Professor, Creative Research Medal (2000)
Plant Biology, Genetics
Website | Google Scholar
kdawe@uga.edu
centromeres, maize genetics and genomics
Jeffrey Dean
Assistant Provost and Director
Plant Pathology, UGA Griffin Campus
Website | ResearchGate | Google Scholar
jeffdean@uga.edu
plant biochemistry; transcriptomics; vascular tissue development; plant cell wall formation; conifer biology; forest tree genomes; loblolly pine; wood formation; microbial biotechnology; mycology
C. Michael Deom
Professor
Plant Pathology
Website | ResearchGate
deom@uga.edu
virus-host interactions
Katrien Devos
Distinguished Research Professor, Creative Research Medal (2017), Crop Science Society of America Fellow (2019)
Plant Biology, Crop and Soil Sciences, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | ResearchGate
kdevos@uga.edu
grass genetics and comparative genomics
Lisa Donovan
Distinguished Research Professor, Emerita
Plant Biology
ldonovan@uga.edu
ResearchGate
plant evolutionary physiology and ecology
Christopher M. Dundas
Assistant Professor
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar
cmdundas@uga.edu
synthetic biology to study/engineer plants and plant microbiomes for agriculture and sustainability
Bhabesh Dutta
Professor
Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar
bhabesh@uga.edu
management of bacterial and fungal diseases in vegetable crops
Rhuanito Soranz Ferrarezi
Associate Professor
Horticulture
Website | Google Scholar
ferrarezi@uga.edu
crop physiology and production of vegetables and ornamentals in controlled environments
Scott Gold
Professor
Plant Pathology
sgold@uga.edu
molecular biology of plant-fungal pathogen interactions
Scott Harding
Senior Research Scientist
Forestry, Genetics
Website
sharding@uga.edu
stress physiology, metabolism, metabolomics
David Jespersen
Associate Professor
Crop and Soil Sciences, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website
djesper@uga.edu
turfgrass, stress physiology
Dan Johnson
Assistant Professor
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Website | Google Scholar
Danjohnson@uga.edu
plant water transport, xylem structure and drought tolerance
Chang Hyun Khang
Associate Professor
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
ckhang@uga.edu
cell and molecular biology of rice and fungal interactions, rice blast, fungal effectors
Brian Kvitko
Associate Professor
Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
bkvitko@uga.edu
molecular phytobacteriology
Soraya Leal-Bertioli
Senior Research Scientist
Website | ResearchGate
sorayab@uga.edu
plant pathology, plant breeding, CWRs, and genetics
Karl Lechtreck
Professor
Cellular Biology
Website
lechtrek@uga.edu
Chlamydomonas, cilia and cilia-related disease, in vivo imaging
Jim Leebens-Mack
Distinguished Research Professor, Creative Research Medal (2016)
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
jleebensmack@uga.edu
green plant phylogenetics, comparative, and functional genomics
Zenglu Li
Professor, GSD professorship in Soybean Breeding and Genetics
Crop and Soil Sciences, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | Google Scholar
zli@uga.edu
soybean breeding, genetics and genomics
Wolfgang Lukowitz
Associate Professor
Plant Biology
Lab Website
lukowitz@uga.edu
plant development and cell biology
Anish Malladi
Associate Professor
Horticulture, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | ResearchGate
malladi@uga.edu
fruit growth and developmental physiology
Rodney Mauricio
Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor
Genetics
Website
mauricio@uga.edu
conservation genetics, invasive species, ecological genetics, evolutionary ecology, plant-animal interactions, evolutionary quantitative genetics, adaptation
Cecilia McGregor
Professor
Horticulture, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | Google Scholar
cmcgre1@uga.edu
cucurbit breeding and genetics, disease resistance, fruit shape, QTL, marker assisted selection, crop wild relatives
Mohamed Mergoum
Professor, Georgia Seed Development/UGA Foundation Professor
Crop & Soil Sciences, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website
mmergoum@uga.edu
small grain breeding, genetics and genomics
Scott Merkle
Professor, Associate Dean of the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Creative Research Medal (2011)
Forestry
Website
smerkle@uga.edu
somatic embryogenesis and genetic transformation of forest trees
Ali Missaoui
Assistant Professor
Crop & Soil Sciences, Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | ResearchGate
cssamm@uga.edu
bioenergy, forages, breeding, genomics
Melissa Mitchum
Professor
Plant Pathology, Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Twitter
Melissa.Mitchum@uga.edu
molecular plant-nematode interactions, effectors, peptide signaling, host plant resistance, soybean genetics and genomics
Debra Mohnen
Professor
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
Website | ResearchGate
dmohnen@uga.edu
biosynthesis of plant cell wall polysaccharides
Michelle Momany
Professor
Fungal Biology Group, and Department of Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar | Resource
mmomany@uga.edu
antifungal resistance, fungal biology
Savithri Nambeesan
Assistant Research Scientist
Horticulture
Website
sunamb@uga.edu
ripening and postharvest physiology
Brad Nelms
Assistant Professor
Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar
nelms@uga.edu
genetics, plant reproduction, and development
Peggy Ozias-Akins
Distinguished Research Professor, Creative Research Medal (2015)
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, Horticulture, National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
pozias@uga.edu
peanut genetics and genomics, plant reproductive development
Wayne Parrott
Distinguished Research Professor and Director, Institute of Plant Breeding Genetics and Genomics
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Twitter
wparrott@uga.edu
biotechnology of crop plants
Andrew Paterson
Regents Professor, Lamar Dodd Award (2009)
Crop and Soil Sciences, Genetics, Institute of Bioinformatics, Plant Biology, Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory
Website | Google Scholar
paterson@uga.edu
plant genetics, genomics, evolution, crop improvement, domestication
Paul Raymer
Professor
Crop and Soil Sciences, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website
praymer@uga.edu
turfgrass breeding and genetics
Harald Scherm
Professor and Department Head
Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar
scherm@uga.edu
etiology and integrated management of diseases of fruit crops
Robert Schmitz
Professor, UGA Foundation Professor of Plant Sciences, Georgia Research Alliance Lars G. Ljungdahl Distinguished Investigator
Genetics, Institute of Bioinformatics, Plant Biology
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate | Twitter | Resource
schmitz@uga.edu
epigenetics, epigenomics
Paul Severns
Associate Professor
Plant Pathology
Google Scholar
Paul.Severns@uga.edu
plant disease epidemiology
Shavannor Smith
Associate Professor
Plant Pathology
Website | ResearchGate
shavs@uga.edu
plant-pathogen interactions, structure and evolution of disease resistance loci, plant-insect interactions
Rajagopalbabu Srinivasan
Associate Professor
Entomology
Website |ResearchGate
babusri@uga.edu
vector biology, vector-pathogen interactions, vector-virus-host interactions, thrips, whiteflies, aphids, plant viruses
Andrea Sweigart
Professor
Genetics
Website | Google Scholar
sweigart@uga.edu
evolutionary genetics, speciation
Miaoying Tian
Associate Professor, Ji/Georgia Vegetable Industry Distinguished Professorship in Plant Pathology
Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
mtian@uga.edu
functional genomics of plant pathogenic oomycetes and plant genome editing for disease resistance
CJ Tsai
Winfred N. Haynes Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar
Forestry, Plant Biology, Genetics, Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
cjtsai@uga.edu
CRISPR gene editing, functional genomics, metabolomics, growth and defense, abiotic stress response
Breeanna Urbanowicz
Assistant Professor, Director of the Plant Biopolymers Group
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complex carbohydrate Research Center (CCRC), Center for BioEnergy Innovation (CBI), UGA New Materials Institure (NMI), Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (CB2), CCRC Center for Plant and Microbial Complex Carbohydrates
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
breeanna@uga.edu
plant cell wall biology and biochemistry
Caterina Villari
Associate Professor
Forestry
Website |Google Scholar | ResearchGate
cvillari@uga.edu
forest pathology, resistance mechanisms of trees
Esther van der Knaap
Distinguished Research Professor
Horticulture, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
vanderkn@uga.edu
developmental genetics, genomics and molecular biology
Ron Walcott
Professor, Vice Provost for Graduate Education, Dean of the Graduate School
Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar
rwalcott@uga.edu
seed pathology and bacteriology
Ian S. Wallace
Associate Professor
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
Website | Google Scholar
ian.wallace@uga.edu
regulation of cellulose synthesis, pectic polysaccharide synthesis and deposition, biochemistry and mechanics of pollen-pistil interactions.
Jason Wallace
Associate Professor
Crop and Soil Sciences, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, Institute of Bioinformatics
Website | ORCiD | Google Scholar
jason.wallace@uga.edu
quantitative genetics and genomics of crops and their microbiomes
Dayton Wilde
Dooley Professor
Horticulture, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website | ResearchGate
dwilde@uga.edu
molecular genetics of ornamental plants
Li Yang
Assistant Professor
Plant Pathology
Website | Google Scholar
Li.Yang1@uga.edu
molecular genetics of the crosstalk between plant immunity and development
Zheng-Hua Ye
Professor
Plant Biology
Website
yh@uga.edu
molecular mechanisms and evolution of vascular differentiation and patterning
William York
Emeritus Professor
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Website
will@ccrc.uga.edu
spectroscopic and computational methods for the structural and conformational analysis of complex carbohydrates
Donglin Zhang
Michael A. Dirr Professor
Horticulture, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics
Website
donglin@uga.edu
woody ornamental improvement