MEDIA ADVISORY

Press Conference Covering Emerging Issues and Critical Topics In Plant Pathology and the Ag Industry
 

Members of the media are cordially invited to attend this informative event. Find out the latest information on global change as it relates to plant disease, the globalization of plant pathogens, UG99, sudden oak death, and much more at a news conference to be held Monday, August 3, 2009, from 10 to 11 a.m. PST. The news conference, moderated by John Damicone, Oklahoma State University, will be held during the Annual Meeting of The American Phytopathological Society (APS) held at the Portland Convention Center in Portland, Oregon, August 1–5, 2009. This year's theme, Expanding the Boundaries, takes a fresh, new approach to plant pathology, exploring new technologies and forward-thinking research. This event presents a great opportunity to listen to world-renowned scientists and meet industry experts.

 Reporters and editors will have an opportunity to address the speakers during a Q&A session at the end of the news conference. diseases.
 

Time/Date
Monday, August 3, 10–11 a.m. PST
 

Location
Portland Convention Center, Room D132 777 NE Martin Luther King Boulevard, Portland, Oregon 97232 To participate by telephone, call 866.551.1530 and enter code 3648687#.
Please call a few minutes ahead.
 

Sponsoring Committee
The APS Office of Public Relations and Outreach

Interview Opportunities
The following plant disease experts will participate in the event:
 •New and threatening invasive plant disease in California, Kathleen Kosta, California Department of Food and Agriculture
 •Globalization and new waves of immigration of plant pathogens, Jenifer Huang McBeath, University of Alaska
 •Global change and plant disease risks, Karen Garrett, Kansas State University 
 •The United States prepares for UG99 strains of wheat stem rust, Tim Murray, Washington State University
 •Sudden oak death in Oregon, Jay Pscheidt, Oregon State University

Members of the media are extended complimentary meeting registration. For additional information and to arrange for interviews with the presenters, contact Amanda Aranowski at aaranowski@scisoc.org or +1.651.994.3802. More information is also available at http://meeting.apsnet.org.

The American Phytopathological Society (APS) is a nonprofit, professional scientific organization. The APS Press Conference was organized by John Damicone, Oklahoma State University, and Doug Jardine, Kansas State University. The research of the organization's 5,000 worldwide members advances the understanding of the science of plant pathology and its application to plant health.