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.
2026 Kenneth E. 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 2026 Kenneth E. Papa Award was presented to Dalvir Kaur Dhadly, a Ph.D. candidate working under the direction of Dr. Sudeep Bag, Associate Professor of Crop Virology at the UGA Tifton Campus. Dalvir’s research focuses on the epidemiology of whitefly-transmitted viruses, primarily cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) and cucurbit leaf crumple virus (CuLCrV), affecting cucurbit crops in Georgia. Specifically, she investigated annual and perennial weed species surrounding cucurbit fields and demonstrated their role as alternative hosts that help these viruses survive between cropping seasons and spread to cucurbit crops. She also examined the seed transmission of CuLCrV under controlled conditions, and her current research is investigating the epidemiological significance of CuLCrV seed transmission under field conditions. Her work identifies factors contributing to the persistence and spread of these whitefly-transmitted viruses. These findings will support the development of integrated management strategies that could potentially reduce yield losses and increase produce marketability for growers across the state.
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.
2026 Cedric Kuhn Outstanding MS Graduate Student
Rebekah Paul is the recipient of the 2026 Cedric Kuhn Outstanding M.S. Student Award. She is a master’s student working under the direction of Dr. Melissa Mitchum, a Barry Bustillo Distinguished Professor in Plant Nematology. Rebekah’s research focuses on the southern root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, which is the most economically important plant-parasitic nematode affecting the major row crops and vegetables grown in the south and worldwide. Root-knot nematode alters host plant physiology by secreting effector proteins through a hollow, mouth stylet to induce specialized feeding cells known as giant-cells. The adult female root-knot nematode produces a unique feeding structure called a feeding tube to sequester nutrients from the giant-cell in order to reproduce. Rebekah’s thesis research focuses on characterizing a novel stylet-secreted effector protein family conserved across Meloidogyne species that is involved in feeding tube formation. Understanding the function of this novel protein family could provide new targets to disrupt feeding tube formation which may lead to broader strategies for managing different Meloidogyne species across the major crops.
