Plant Pathology

Dr. Mathews Paret

Department Chair

Contact:

Phone: (352) 294-7509
Email: paret@ufl.edu
Office: Rm. #1453, Fifield Hall
2550 Hull Road
Gainesville, FL, 32611

Interests and Expertise

Dr. Paret’s research includes characterization of plant pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses, development of field-based molecular and sensing-based diagnostic techniques, plant disease image classification using machine learning and artificial intelligence, and management of diseases using novel methods including natural and engineered nano materials.

Education
- Ph.D. Tropical Plant Pathology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 01/2005 - 08/2009 (Major Advisor: Dr. Anne M. Alvarez, Professor, Plant Bacteriology)
- M.Sc. Horticulture, Allahabad Agricultural Institute, India, 06/1999 - 03/2001 (Major Advisor: Dr. D. B. Singh, Professor, Horticulture)
- B.S. Agriculture, Allahabad Agricultural Institute, India, 1999

Research

Research

Extension

Professional Experience
- Chair, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, 09/2023 - present
- Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, 07/2023 - present
- Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, 07/2017 - 06/2023
- Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, 11/2010 - 06/2017
- Director, Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic, University of Florida, NFREC, 11/2010 - 09/2023
- Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Plant Pathology, University of Florida, 09/2009 - 11/2010 (Advisors: Dr. Timur M. Momol, Professor, Plant Pathology, and Dr. Stephen M. Olson, Professor, Horticulture)
- Research Assistant, Plant Bacteriology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 01/2005 - 08/2009 (Advisor: Dr. Anne M. Alvarez)
- Technical Officer, National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (Research division established by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited - NAFED), India, 03/2003 - 12/2004 (Project Directors: Dr. S. R. Bhonde and A.B. Chougule)
- Project Officer, Peermade Development Society, Rapunzel Naturkost/ United Nations Development Programme/ World Bank - International Trade Center - Spices Board of India projects, India, 04/2002 - 02/2003 (Project Director: Dr. C. K. George)

Professional Activities
- Treasurer, International Society for Plant Pathology, 2018-2023
- Senior Editor, Plant Health Progress, American Phytopathological Society, 2018 onwards (Associate Editor, 2014-2017)
- Senior Editor, Vegetable Production Handbook for Florida, 2018
- Organizer and Moderator, International IPM Symposium, Special Session “Nanotechnology and its increasing role in IPM”, 2018
- Reviewer, Southern Division American Phytopathological Society Student Travel Awards, 2018
- Convenor, Florida Phytopathological Society Biennial Meeting, 2017
- President, Florida Phytopathological Society 2015-2017 (Vice President, 2013-2015; Secretary, 2011-2013)
- Organizer and Scientific Committee Member, 5th International Symposium on Tomato Diseases, Malaga, Spain, 2016
- Organizer and Moderator, American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting Special Session, 2016 “Emerging Nano Materials for Disease Management and Pathogen Diagnostics”
- Chair, Working Group on Tomato Diseases, International Society for Horticultural Science, 2013-2016
- Organizer and Moderator, American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting Special Session, 2015 “Buzzing the Tower: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles/Drones for Applications in Plant Pathology”
- Convener; Joint meeting of the 4th International Symposium on Tomato Diseases and the 29th U.S Annual Tomato Diseases Workshop, Orlando, FL, 2013
- Chair, Integrated Plant Disease Management Scientific Committee, American Phytopathological Society, 2012-2013 (Vice Chair, 2011-2012)
- Organizer and Moderator, American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting Special session, 2012 titled “Grafting as an Alternative to Soil Fumigation for Disease Management in Vegetable Production”
- Moderator, IPM session, American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting, 2012

Professional Service and Awards
- Global Fellows Award, University of Florida, 2019
- LEAD Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cohort 10 Program Selection, University of Florida, 2018
- Term Professorship Award, University of Florida, 2017-19
- Certificate of Achievement, Office of International Programs, American Phytopathological Society, 2018
- Invitation and Travel grant to attend and present at the Gordon Research Seminar at Nanoscale Science and Engineering for Agriculture and Food Systems Session, 2018 to highlight graduate students research findings.
- Invitation to attend and present at the Gordon Research Conference on Nanoscale Science and Engineering for Agriculture and Food Systems Session, 2018
- Invited Speaker at the International Congress of Plant Pathology, Special session on “Development of Innovative Management Strategies for Economically Important Bacterial Diseases”, 2018
- Invited Speaker at the International IPM Symposium, Special Session on Nanomaterials in Agriculture, 2018
- Invited Speaker at the Materials Sciences Society Annual Meeting, Special Session on Nanomaterials in Agriculture, 2018
- LEAD Cohort 10 Program Selection, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 2018
- Invited Speaker with Travel grant at the International Symposium on Agro-Bio Nanotechnology, Center for Research in Applied Chemistry (CIQA), Government of Mexico, 2017
- William Boright Hewitt and Maybelle Ellen Ball Hewitt Award, American Phytopathological Society, 2016
- Outstanding Educational Materials Award, American Society for Horticultural Sciences, 2015 (Team Award for Southern Nursery IPM Working Group)
- Blue Ribbon Communication Award, Southern Region - American Society for Horticultural Sciences, 2015 (Team Award for Southern Nursery IPM Working Group)
- Invitation and travel grant to attend and present at the Gordon Research Conference on Nanoscale Science and Engineering for Agriculture and Food Systems, 2015
- Bright Idea Award, Southern IPM Center, 2014 (Team Award for Southern Nursery IPM Working Group)
- Early Career Scientist Award, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2013
- Medal of Service, Working Group on Tomato Diseases, International Society for Horticultural Science, 2013
- 1st Prize, Ph.D Research Oral Presentation, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2009