WSU PATHOLOGIST KIWAMU TANAKA NAMED PRESIDENT-ELECT OF PACIFIC DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY

The Pacific Division of the American Phytopathological Society (APS) recently voted Washington State University (WSU) Associate Professor Kiwamu Tanaka as President-Elect. Immediately following the APS annual meeting, he assumed the role and will step into the position of President after their 2026 annual meeting. In his new role, his primary goal is to focus on growing the division conference to include more private industry in addition to academic scientists.

Tanaka has a PhD in Agronomy and his completed post-doctoral position was working in plant microbe interactions. He started working exclusively as a Plant Pathologist after joining WSU as an Assistant Professor in 2014.

Currently, his focus is on disease control and assisting the agricultural industry with the best techniques to feed people worldwide. Primarily, Tanaka works to protect potatoes and plans to spend the next decades focused on Potato Powdery Scab Disease. Currently, there is no effective strategy to combat the protozoa, but he hopes to work on developing effective applicable treatments for growers.

To read WSU’s article in its entirety go here.