Page 27 - Plant Canada 2024 Proceeding

PLANT CANADA 2024

The Canadian Phytopathological Society (CPS) will reach its centennial year in 2029; its main
objective is to promote research, education and Knowledge dissemination on the nature, cause
and control of plant diseases. The society has more than 350 members in Canada and abroad,
including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows/research associates, technical assistants,
extension plant pathologists, research scientists and university professors with expertise
ranging from fundamental/molecular plant-pathogen interactions to field research on crop
disease management. Additionally, several grower organizations and private companies are
sustaining members. The society’s operations are guided a Board of Directors and several
committees. For 2024-2025, the CPS Board consists of:

President: Gary Peng
Past-President: Sheau-Fang Hwang
President Elected: Guillaume Bilodeau
Vice-President: Maria-Antonia Henriquez
Secretary: Tom Fetch
Treasurer: Michelle Hubbard
Membership Secretary: Sara Stricker
Senior Director: Wen Chen
Junior Director: Gurcharn Brar
CJPP Editor-in-Chief: Linda Jewell
CPS Website Editor: Michael Holtz

The CPS publishes the Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology (CJPP) and the Canadian Plant
Disease Survey (CPDS), both of which have transitioned to online-only publication. CJPP has
adopted a hybrid publication model, allowing authors to choose between immediate open
access for a fee or conventional publication with only a page charge. However, all issue will
become open access one year after its initial publication. The editorial board of CJPP, led by
Editor-in-Chief Dr. Linda Jewell, remains pivotal in maintaining the journal's high standards. The
CPS also publishes a quarterly newsletter. This year, the CPS has been diligently working to
publish the fourth edition of “Diseases of Field Crops in Canada,” which includes significant
updates from the previous 2003 edition. A sample book is planned for display at the Plant
Canada 2024 Conference, and preorders will be available at a discounted price...

The society presents several awards, including the prestigious Award for Outstanding Research,
the Outstanding Young Scientist Award, and several awards for graduate students. Dr. Tom
Hsiang, a professor from the University of Guelph, received the 2023 Award for Outstanding
Research. Equally deserving of recognition, Dr. Gurcharn Brar, an assistant professor at UBC
(now at the University of Alberta), received the 2023 Outstanding Young Scientist Award. The
2023 CPS John Yorston Graduate Student Scholarship Awards went to Sarah Drury, Vinuri
Weerasinghe, and Yishan Zhang, while the 2023 CPS Graduate Student Travel Awards were
given to Razan Malla, Rasha Salih, and Emilee Storfie. The achievements of these young
scientists are a testament to the bright future of plant pathology in Canada.

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