Ohio State welcomes two new soybean pathologists

Adapted from C.O.R.N 2021-28

Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora and Dr. Mitch Roth. Dr. Lopez-Nicora and Dr. Roth both started as Assistant Professors in the Department of Plant Pathology this month.

Horacio has extension and research responsibilities in the areas of soybean plant pathology and nematology. His work is driven by the intertwined goals of ensuring food stability and working with growers to manage diseases that can have a negative impact on agricultural production. His research informs, and is in turn informed by, his extension work and a dedication to meet the real-time needs of growers. Horacio may be a familiar face to some of you…He completed his Ph.D. at The Ohio State University in the Department of Plant Pathology, working with Dr. Terry Niblack. After graduating from OSU, Horacio was an Assistant Professor at Universidad San Carlos in Paraguay and Adjust Professor at Universidad de Caldas, Columbia.

Mitch’s research will focus on fungal and oomycete diseases of soybean and other crops. While Mitch doesn’t have a formal extension appointment, you may see him around the state as he wants to connect his research to the needs of farmers. Mitch grew up on a farm in Bad Axe, Michigan, where his family farms corn, wheat, dry bean, and sugar beet. He received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University. (It’s always good to have another Spartan around.) Most recently, Mitch worked as a Post-doctoral Research Associate at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The OSU Extension Agronomic Crops Team would also like to thank Dr. Anne Dorrance for all her contributions. Anne was promoted to Associate Dean and Director of The Ohio State University Wooster Campus in January 2020. Even though Anne’s been in her current role for almost two years, she regularly contributed to the CORN newsletter and helped answer many grower questions. Thank you so much, Anne!