The American Phytopathological Society (APS) is pleased to announce its 2006 award recipients. These awards will be presented at the upcoming APS Annual Meeting, being held jointly with the Canadian Phytopathological Society and the Mycological Society of America, July 29 - August 2, 2006, in Québec City, Québec, Canada.

APS grants the Fellow designation to current members in recognition of distinguished contributions to plant pathology or to the Society. The 11 members to be named Fellows in the Society are:

• Stella Melugin Coakley, Oregon State University;
• Ralph Dean, North Carolina State University;
• Anne E. Desjardins, USDA ARS;
• Helene R. Dillard, Cornell University;
• Rose Gergerich, University of Arkansas;
• John R. Hartman, University of Kentucky;
• Charles R. Howell, USDA ARS;
• Benham E. L. Lockhart, University of Minnesota;
• Ulrich Melcher, Oklahoma State University;
• Ravi P. Singh, CIMMYT; and
• James L. Starr, Texas A&M University.

Milton Zaitlin of Cornell University will be presented with the Award of Distinction. This award, the highest honor the Society bestows, is presented on rare occasions to persons who have made truly exceptional contributions to plant pathology.

Marcia P. McMullen, North Dakota State University, is to receive the Excellence in Extension Award. This award recognizes excellence in extension plant pathology.

Gregory Lamka, Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., will be presented the Excellence in Industry Award. This award recognizes outstanding contributions to plant pathology by APS members whose primary employment involves work outside the university and federal realms either for profit or non-profit.

Cleo D’Arcy, University of Illinois, is to receive the Excellence in Teaching Award. This award recognizes excellence in teaching plant pathology.

The International Service Award will be presented to David Thurston of Cornell University. This award honors outstanding contributions to plant pathology by APS members for a country other than his or her own.

The Lee M. Hutchins Award is to be presented to Chang-Lin Xiao, Washington State University. This award honors the best contribution presented in one or more full-length papers reporting basic or applied research of diseases of perennial fruit plants published in a recent, official APS publication.

Thomas Baum, Iowa State University; Eric Davis, North Carolina State University; and Richard S. Hussey, University of Georgia, will be presented the Ruth Allen Award for Innovative Research. This award honors individuals who have made an innovative research contribution that has changed, or has the potential to change, the direction of work in any field of plant pathology.

The Syngenta Award will go to Guo-Liang Wang of Ohio State University. Syngenta gives this award to an APS member for an outstanding recent contribution to teaching, research, or extension in plant pathology.

The William Boright Hewitt and Maybelle Ellen Ball Hewitt Award will be presented to Koon-Hui Wang, University of Florida. This award recognizes a scientist within five years of their Ph.D. degree who has made an outstanding, innovative contribution directed toward the control of plant disease.

Full descriptions of each of the awardees are available at www.apsnet.org/members/awards/2006.asp. More information on the meeting is available at http://meeting.apsnet.org. Members of the media are extended complimentary registration to the annual meeting. To register, contact Amy Steigman at asteigman@scisoc.org or +1.651.994.3802.

The American Phytopathological Society (APS) is a non-profit, professional scientific organization. The research of the organization’s 5,000 worldwide members advances the understanding of the science of plant pathology and its application to plant health.