Kuhn and Papa Awards
Dr. Kenneth E. Papa
Dr. Kenneth E. Papa (1931-1986) began his career as an Assistant Professor of Physiological Genetics in the Department of Plant Pathology and Plant Genetics at the University of Georgia in 1964. He served as the chair of the departmental admissions committee and acted as a liaison between the students and the Graduate School. He rose to a full professor in 1978. Though his teaching and administrative duties took time, he carried on an active research program in fungal genetics.
2025 Papa Graduate Student Award Winner
The Kenneth E. Papa Outstanding Graduate Student Award is presented in honor of Ken Papa (1931-1986), a former professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, who was a renowned fungal geneticist and one of the first geneticists at the University of Georgia. He played a major role in the Plant Pathology graduate program through his service as Graduate Coordinator and was elected Fellow of the Georgia Academy of Science in 1977.
The 2025 Kenneth E. Papa Award was presented to Sujan Paudel, a Ph.D. candidate working under the direction of Dr. Brian Kvitko, Associate Professor of plant molecular plant bacteriology. Sujan’s research focuses on uncovering the genetic basis of how the bacterial onion pathogen Burkholderia gladioli pv. alliicola (Bga) causes disease in onions. Vidalia onions, grown on over 12,000 acres in South Georgia, contribute to a staggering $173 million farm gate value. However, Bga poses a considerable threat to the Vidalia onion industry as storage, bulb, and foliar pathogen. Like many Burkholderia species, Bga can persist in soil for extended periods without its host, making management efforts particularly challenging. Given the low effectiveness of chemical control, breeding disease-resistant onion varieties offers a sustainable long-term solution. Understanding Bga’s disease-causing mechanisms is a crucial step toward developing such resistant varieties.
Onion cells present a toxic hostile environment for bacterial growth due to their production of organic sulfur antimicrobial compounds called thiosulfinates. In another bacterial onion pathogen, Pantoea ananatis, thiosulfinate tolerance gene clusters (TTG) enable the bacterium to colonize necrotized onion tissue by conferring tolerance to these defense compounds. Sujan’s research also explores whether distantly related Burkholderia onion pathogens employ similar strategies to withstand onion-derived antimicrobial compounds. Investigating the thiosulfinates tolerance levels of natural and engineered Bga variants will provide insights into whether adaptation to onion defense compounds is essential for host colonization. By integrating functional genetics and phenotypic assays, Sujan aims to unravel the complexities of bacterial virulence mechanisms in onion infection. Besides research, Sujan also enjoys mentoring other students and is an avid supporter of Arsenal Football Club.
Dr. Cedric Kuhn
Dr. Cedric Kuhn joined the Plant Pathology Department at the Georgia Experiment Station in 1960 as the state's first plant virology, laying the foundation for his program. He served as the head of the Department of Plant Pathology at the station. Eventually he relocated to the Athens campus to join the teaching-research department in 1970. Dr. Kuhn was awarded the University of Georgia Alumni Association's Distinguished Faculty Award, the Gamma Sigma Delta Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, and was honored as an APS Fellow.
2025 Cedric Kuhn Outstanding MS Graduate Student
The Cedric Kuhn Outstanding M.S. Student Award is presented in honor of Cedric Kuhn (1930-2000), who in the late 1950s became Georgia’s first plant virologist. The 2025 Cedric Kuhn Outstanding M.S. Student awardee is Nabin Poudel, a Master's student working with Dr. Intiaz Chowdhury in the Cotton and Vegetable Nematology Lab at the Tifton campus. Nabin’s research focuses on evaluating the pathogenicity of recently detected root-knot nematode species in Georgia and their impact on major vegetable crops. Specifically, he is studying Meloidogyne enterolobii, M. floridensis, and M. haplanaria, which were identified in the state for the first time in different vegetable hosts. As Georgia’s vegetable industry continues to grow, these nematodes pose a significant threat due to their aggressive nature, broad host range, and limited management options. Nabin’s thesis research assesses their ability to cause disease and suppress yields, providing essential insights into their interactions with key vegetable crops. By identifying the pathogenic potential of these species, his research contributes to developing targeted management strategies to safeguard vegetable production in Georgia.
