By Blake Jackson
University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment has appointed Gary Munkvold as the new chair of its Department of Plant Pathology, effective May 1.
Munkvold joins the university after a long career at Iowa State University, where he spent nearly three decades as a professor specializing in plant pathology research, Extension, and teaching.
During his tenure at Iowa State, Munkvold worked within the Department of Plant Pathology, now known as the Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, as well as the university’s Seed Science Center.
Munkvold work focused on diseases affecting field and vegetable crops, particularly fungi that produce mycotoxins in corn, seedborne pathogens, and seedling disease management strategies.
“I am thrilled and honored to join the UK Department of Plant Pathology, and I look forward to working with our faculty, staff, students, alumni and stakeholders to reinforce their many successes and build the future of the department,” Munkvold said.
“I am joining a group that is poised to grow and expand its impact across Kentucky and beyond. We will achieve this by addressing emerging plant health challenges with innovative research, educating the next generation of scientists and practitioners, and translating scientific discovery into practical benefits for stakeholders.”
In addition to his academic work, Munkvold previously served in a leadership role with Corteva Agriscience, formerly Pioneer Hi-Bred International, where he coordinated research programs involving pathology, entomology, and seed science.
Munkvold also chaired Iowa State’s online graduate program in Seed Technology and Business and spent 20 years as co-director of the administrative unit for the U.S. National Seed Health System.
Munkvold is a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society and has received multiple honors throughout his career, including the Iowa Regents’ Award for Faculty Excellence.
Munkvold earned his doctoral degree from University of California, Davis and completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Photo Credit: matt-barton
Categories: Kentucky, Education