Dr. Asela Wijeratne (left), associate professor of bioinformatics, and students Brett Hale and Sandaruwan Ratnayake have an article in PLOS ONE. Phytophthora sojae causes damaging soybean root and stem rot; their research describes finding critical proteins that help plants defend against the disease. Also, a comprehensive review by Wijeratne, Hale, and Dr. Edward Brown (right), assistant professor of agronomy, was published in Plant Pathology. It describes the interplay of host-pathogen coevolution and soybean resistance against P. sojae.

Dr. Loretta Neal McGregor, professor of psychology, was elected to Fellow status by the board of directors and the council of representatives during the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. Fellow status is an honor bestowed upon APA members who have shown evidence of outstanding contributions or performance in the field of psychology. The designation also requires that a person's work has had a national impact.

Dr. Ehsan Naderi, assistant professor of electrical engineering, is co-author of three recently published papers. In the journal IEEE Transaction on Industrial Informatics, the authors propose a method for mitigating the negative impact of a cyberattack on a smart power distribution system. In Electric Power Components and Systems, they introduce a hybrid optimization algorithm. In Sustainable Cities and Society, they propose a programming model that maximizes the efficiency of power grids integrated with solar plants.

The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) has appointed five new members to its Board of Commissioners, including Dr. Carlitta Moore, assistant professor of athletic training, and assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, Nursing and Health Professions. She will serve a three-year term on the board, which has final authority and responsibility for all CAATE accreditation decisions and activities.

Dr. Justin Castro, professor of history, gave a presentation for the Mexican Seminar on the History of Construction, hosted by the National Coordinating Office for Historical Monuments and the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History. His topic was "Engineer Modesto C. Rolland: His Life and Work in Global Context." Castro’s monograph on Rolland and his impact was published by the University of Nebraska Press.