Dr. Luis earned a B.S. degree in Agriculture, major in Plant Pathology, from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, followed by M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Plant Pathology from the University of Georgia and North Carolina State University. Her experience includes both basic and applied research in roles as Laboratory and Field Technician at Virginia Tech, Postdoctoral Scholar at The Ohio State University, and Postdoctoral Research Associate at Purdue University. She joined the Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences at the University of University of Hawaii at Manoa as an Assistant Specialist in July 2024. Her current work integrates research and extension efforts to characterize fungal pathogens and develop sustainable strategies for managing fungal diseases impacting tropical crops. 

Email: luisjm@hawaii.edu, CTAHR Faculty Profile  

Olatubosun is a Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He earned a B.S. degree in Biology from the National Open University of Nigeria and previously served as a Research Technician at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria. At IITA, he worked on germplasm health, plant pathogen detection, and integrated pest management, providing him a strong background in field and laboratory diagnostics. His current research focuses on screening koa (Acacia koa) families for resistance to koa wilt and characterizing its causal pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. koae. He is passionate about food security, improving plant health, biosecurity, disease surveillance, and innovative approaches to plant protection.

Email: oojo@hawaii.edu

Saimon is a Plant Pathologist from Quezon Province, Philippines. He graduated with a B.S. degree in Agriculture, major in Plant Pathology, from the University of the Philippines Los Baños in 2019 and became a Licensed Agriculturist that same year. He began his professional career as a Seed Analyst with the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) National Seed Quality Control Services, where he worked in the Seed Health Unit. In this role, he was responsible for ensuring the quality and health of seed samples through the detection and identification of seedborne fungal pathogens. Currently a Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, he contributes to plant disease diagnosis and research, including a survey of fungal diseases affecting tomato.

Email: sescali@hawaii.edu

Email: skapali@hawaii.edu