Iowa State University Associate Professor of Agronomy Mark Licht and Professor of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology Steve Whitham will join the Iowa Soybean Research Center (ISRC) as co-directors. After 11 years of leadership, founding ISRC Director and Morrill Professor of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology Greg Tylka will step away from the center at the end of 2025 allowing him more time to focus on his research responsibilities in the area of soybean cyst nematode (SCN).
Licht, an extension cropping systems specialist, and Whitham, an expert in molecular plant pathology, have both been long-time faculty research affiliates of the ISRC. The addition of Licht and Whitham highlights the long-term commitment of Iowa State University in support of soybean research. The co-directors will work together to expand the research and educational activities of the center while maintaining a focus on soybean production research.
“I would like to thank Dr. Tylka for his leadership and dedication to the Iowa Soybean Research Center, and I am excited for the center’s future with the addition of Drs. Licht and Whitham whose complementary areas of expertise will serve as strengths for the center,” said Asheesh “Danny” Singh, associate dean for research and discovery for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.