Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology
Stephen Cook, Department Head (Agricultural Science Bldg. Room 242, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 2329, Moscow, ID 83844-2329; phone 208-885-2722).
The Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology (EPPN) supports the land-grant mission of the University of Idaho through our statewide programs of teaching, research, and extension about insects and their relatives, plant pathogens and diseases, and nematodes. EPPN faculty include one of the fourteen University Distinguished Professors, an honorific rank reserved for those professors whose internationally recognized excellence has brought greatest distinction to the University of Idaho.
Our undergraduate teaching program includes a new major which leads to the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in global disease ecology. This degree will support students interested not only in traditional health careers, but also other career paths, including but not limited to health policy and regulation, global and public health, animal welfare, plant pathology, microbiology, food and water quality, sustainable agriculture, sustainable forestry, and environmental protection. This degree will provide the opportunity for students to develop tools to solve problems in real-world scenarios. Our faculty offer directed study, special topics and seminar classes to enable students to specialize for future advanced education at the graduate level.
Students in the global disease ecology major will gain research experience outside the classroom by working with faculty across the university. EPPN faculty located on campus in Moscow and off campus at University of Idaho Research and Extension Centers located at Aberdeen, Kimberly and Parma, Idaho are ready and willing to support undergraduate research. There are also opportunities for internships at the William F. Barr Entomological Museum, one of the most significant scholarly resources for insect species diversity in the Pacific Northwest with its collection of more than one million insect specimens. For a personal tour of the Barr Museum, contact curator Dr. Luc Leblanc at lleblanc@uidaho.edu.
We offer graduate programs leading to Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in entomology and a Master of Science degree in plant pathology. Our EPPN faculty expertise is especially strong in interdisciplinary research approaches to arthropod-borne infectious agents of plants, animals and humans, insect behavior and chemical ecology, etiology and management of plant diseases, and integrated pest management. Our graduates go on to research, teaching, extension, and consulting careers in academia, industry, and small business. For more information about EPPN graduate programs in Entomology, contact Professor Mark Schwarzlander, Director of EPPN Graduate Studies, at markschw@uidaho.edu. For more information about EPPN graduate programs in Plant Pathology, contact Professor Brenda Schroeder at bschroeder@uidaho.edu.
EPPN multidisciplinary research programs advance the fundamental science of our disciplines while contributing to the solution of real-world problems about food systems, environmental quality, and public health. Faculty research is regularly funded by more than $10 million via grants awarded by national, state, regional, and international sources. Our statewide extension and outreach programs improve the lives of Idahoans and advance the public good by extending research-based knowledge for practical implementation throughout the state and the nation. Our printed and online extension publications reach tens of thousands of Idahoans annually, and EPPN faculty regularly hold workshops, field days, seminars, and other outreach events reaching thousands every year.