Faculty

Primary Faculty

Professor and Curator, RLG Mycological Herbarium - School of Plant Sciences
822D Marley / 520-3960854 / arnold@ag.arizona.edu
520-621-2244 (Lab)

We study fungal ecology, evolution, and systematics, with a special focus on fungal endophytes. We focus on plant communities ranging from Arctic tundra to hot deserts, tropical forests, and agroecosystems. Our diverse projects are united by an...

Associate Professor - School of Plant Sciences
821C Marley / 520-626-8215 / baltrus@arizona.edu
520-626-6573 (Lab)

The Baltrus lab is interested in understanding microbial evolution with a focus on the mechanisms and costs of adaptation guided by expectations from genomics and population genetics, and usually with an emphasis on better understanding associations...

Associate Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 441C / (520) 626-1562 / mbeilstein@arizona.edu
(520) 626-1563 (Lab)

The focus of my lab is functional evolution in the plant family Brassicaceae. Currently my group uses protein diversity from across land plants to decode the evolutionary history of plant signaling systems. We collaborate in these efforts with...

Regents Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Forbes Bld 431 / 520-621-1402 / jbrown@ag.arizona.edu
520-621-1230 (Lab)

Research focus: (i) Dynamics of distribution, prevalence, and co-diversification driving emergent hemipteran-transmitted plants pathogens in cultivated and natural scapes, including the phytobiome (ii) Functional genomic-identification of...

Associate Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 541C / bucksch@arizona.edu

Our research focuses on root phenomics ranging from the population level to the molecular level. In doing so, we develop computational imaging and simulation techniques that can be applied in the lab and the field.

Professor - School of Plant Sciences
219 Keating Building / 520-626-6634 / bfane@email.arizona.edu
520-621-8539 (Lab)

Taking biophysical, biochemical, genetic and evolutionary approaches, we endeavor to elucidate the molecular mechanism involved in viral DNA translocation and particle morphogenesis with single-stranded DNA Microviruses.

Assistant Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 341B / alonsof@arizona.edu

Our research aims to comprehend the mechanistic interactions between plants, microbiomes, and ecosystem processes. Understanding this interplay is necessary for advancing sustainable agriculture and addressing climate change.

Retired, Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Keating 249 / 520-626-1641 / emherman@email.arizona.edu

My research program is directed at understanding the systems biology that controls seed composition and biotechnology to create seed traits including low allergen content, animal feed, and as a protein bio-factory.

Associate Specialist Plant Pathology Extension & Associate Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 341D / (520) 626-6287 / epp@arizona.edu
(520) 621-3792 (Lab)

We provide plant disease diagnostic services to Extension personnel, growers, pest control advisors, homeowners, landscape professionals, arborists, and the general public throughout and beyond Arizona. I collaborate efforts with state and federal...

Professor, Bud Antle Endowed Chair for Excellence - School of Plant Sciences
Forbes 135 / jenksm@arizona.edu

Jenks' research elucidates cellular mechanisms underlying plant adaptation to biotic and abiotic environmental stress, with a focus on the plant cuticle. Teaching and research expands into the area of plant industrial products.

Professor - School of Plant Sciences
200B BSRL / 520-626-5070 / ericlyons@email.arizona.edu

Understanding the structure, evolution, and dynamics of genomes.

Associate Professor of Practice - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 441G, Herring 105 / 520-621-7243 / mcmahonm@arizona.edu
Assistant Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Keating Bioresearch, Room 307 / gmelandri@arizona.edu

In the Melandri Lab we investigate physiological and biochemical mechanisms able to confer heat and drought stress tolerance to crops and we try to identify their genetic control.

Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 821B / rmosher@arizona.edu

Eukaryotes contain an array of small RNAs capable of transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation. These ubiquitous molecules are part of many biological processes, including development, response to the environment, and disease....

Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 341J / (520) 621-3764 / orbachmj@arizona.edu
(520) 621-9891 (Lab)
Associate Professor of Practice - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 541D / (520) 621-3969 / orchard@arizona.edu

Previously worked as a scientist in the biotechnology industry and now facilitates student learning of biotechnology. Specialties are heterologous protein production and industrial use of microbes. [Dr. Orchard does not train graduate students.]

Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley Building Rm 441E / 520-626-2229 / rpalaniv@arizona.edu
520-621-9567 (Lab)

Develop new tomato varieties that are high yielding even under heat stress. Overcoming reproductive hybridization barriers in Brassicaceae model plants so that we can generate tools to break species barrier and generate novel hybrids.

Associate Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 541A / (520)-621-3656 / dukepauli@email.arizona.edu

I use a combination of high-throughput phenotyping, genomics, and data science to reveal the genetic architecture of stress adaptive traits that are critical for abiotic stress tolerance.

Research Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Forbes Bldg., Room 415A / (520) 269-5938 / pessarak@arizona.edu
(520) 269-5938 (Lab)

Research focused on the adaptation of turfgrass species/genotypes/cultivars to environmental (salinity, drought, & heat) stresses, screening various turfgrasses for stress tolerances in hydroponics culture as well as in the field, and studying...

Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 341G / 520-626-5312 / bmpryor@arizona.edu

Dr. Pryor's research interests include biological and cultural control of disease in field, tree, and vegetable crops, phylogenetic analysis and species concepts in fungi, secondary fungal metabolites, and environmental mycology. Additional...

Associate Professor of Practice - School of Plant Sciences
Marley Bldg., Rm. 541G / 520-306-1228 / tquist@arizona.edu
520-621-7074 (Lab)

Tanya Quist received a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from Purdue University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture where she studied in the Center for Plant Environmental Stress Physiology. Her thesis and post-doctoral work used whole...

University Distinguished Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Forbes 415 / 520-621-7612 / dtray@email.arizona.edu
520-621-2817 (Lab)

Research interests include the genetics of plants and the domestication of new crops. Presently emphasizing the development of new/alternative crops suitable for cultivation in arid and semiarid environments.

Associate Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Keating 303 / 520-626-1643 / monicaschmidt@email.arizona.edu

Research focus is on biofortification of crops and the alteration of both lipid and protein composition

Assistant Professor - School of Plant Sciences
341E Marley / rschomer@arizona.edu

The Schomer lab studies bacterial behaviors involved in the formation and maintenance of soil microbiomes. We use -omics enabled approaches to understand bacterial adaptations that allow them to locate and colonize host plants.

Extension Specialist and Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Forbes 435 / 520-621-1060 / uschuch@email.arizona.edu

Dr. Schuch's research addresses issues in plant production and landscape management with the goal to provide information on how to produce and maintain healthy, functional plants with minimum inputs.

Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 441B / 621-9635 / schumake@email.arizona.edu
621-8910 (Lab)

Our research is focused on understanding how cellular energy transduction is regulated and the molecular evolution of genes that control plant adaptation. These two projects intersect in their importance for plant growth in saline environments.

Assistant Professor of Practice - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 541 F / 520-621-5025 / amritha@arizona.edu

Drawing from academic experience in Sri Lanka and industrial experience in New Zealand, Amritha seeks to facilitate students understand the principles and applications of microbiology and molecular biology towards a better tomorrow

Bud Antle Endowed Chair Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Keating BioResearch Building, Room 253 / 520-626-9595 / rwing@mail.arizona.edu
520-626-9601 (Lab)

Our lab is focused on structural and evolutionary genomics of crop plants, and is leading an international effort to generate reference genome sequences for all 24 species of the genus Oryza, which contains the world most important food crop – rice.

Associate Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 541E / 520-621-3970 / jessewoodson@arizona.edu

Plants use their energy-producing organelles (i.e. chloroplasts and mitochondria) to sense and adapt to changing environments and stresses. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms behind these signaling networks, allowing us to control crop growth.

Extension Horticulturist - School of Plant Sciences
Yuma Agriculture Center / 928-782-5876 / gwright@ag.arizona.edu

Our lab conducts applied research on citrus, date palms and other tree fruit crops of importance to the desert. southwest. This includes investigations of rootstock and variety evaluation, pollination, fruit thinning, plant nutrition, irrigation,...

Associate Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 341F / 520-621-9869 / zxiong@email.arizona.edu
520-621-9916 (Lab)

My research aims to understand the intricate interplays between viruses and their plant hosts during infection, mechanisms of plant resistance to viral infections, RNA virus evolution, and viral population genomics.

Professor - School of Plant Sciences
Marley 441D / 520-621-1616 / yadegari@arizona.edu

Transcriptional regulation of early plant development.

Joint Faculty

Professor, Extension Specialist – Environmental Science - Soil, Water and Environmental Science
Forbes 301 / (520) 621-7145 / silver@ag.arizona.edu

Pursuing greater efficiency of agronomic inputs into crop production systems of Arizona.

Associate Professor - School of Natural Resources and the Environment
N359 ENR2 / (520) 626-5325 / azalfalf@ag.arizona.edu
Professor - Molecular and Cellular Biology
LSS 354 / 520-626-1186 / fetax@u.arizona.edu
520-626-3501 (Lab)

Our major goal is to understand the mechanisms used by plants to specify and maintain cell fates, from stem cells to differentiated cell types. We are also interested in manipulating the architecture of crop plants using genetic means.

Professor - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology