New APS Officers Elected

Congratulations to Gary Bergstrom, elected vice president (to serve as president in 2003–2004), and Richard Bélanger, elected 

Gary Bergstrom	Richard Bélanger

councilor-at-large for a three-year term beginning at the end of the 2001 APS Annual Meeting.

Bergstrom is professor of plant pathology, Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Bélanger is professor for the Department of Plant Science, Laval University in Quebec, QC, Canada.

Complete biographical sketches, as well as personal statements of leadership submitted by the new officers, appeared in the May 2001 issue of Phytopathology News (Vol. 35, No. 5:62-66).

The Office of Electronic Communications seeks to fully integrate and promote electronic communication technologies within the American Phytopathological Society. Several years ago, we created the APSnet Feature as a front page Internet opportunity for members of the society to communicate their latest findings in research or science policy related to the interests of APS.

APSnet features are fully archived on APSnet. One powerful aspect of APSnet features is that authors can fully link their articles to other related websites on similar subjects of interest. APSnet features are meant to be read by scientists, teachers, policy makers, and the general public who may not have a thorough knowledge of the science. APSnet features are generally not data-intensive feature articles such as those published in Plant Disease. We have developed guidelines for prospective contributors to APSnet features, and they can be found on the APSnet homepage. Our technical editor at headquarters, Kurt Gegenhuber develops the web presentations and assists authors, who are asked only to contribute their text documents and digital images. Press releases also accompany APSnet features, allowing contributors the opportunity to report their work to wider audiences. Please contact Jean Ristaino (Jean_Ristaino@ncsu.edu) for further details if you are interested in having your work presented as an APSnet feature.

Contributors to APSnet features now have the opportunity to have their features peer-reviewed for electronic publication in Plant Health Progress in the Plant Health Reviews section, in the Education Center's "Plant Health Instructor" series, or as Plant Disease Features. Features that are peer-reviewed will also still be archived with previous features on the APSnet.

Plant Health Reviews are peer-reviewed articles that summarize and analyze a topic of importance to plant health management for those who are not specialists in the subject area. These reviews should include an introduction to the problem or issue, including an explanation of why the topic is of interest to those involved with plant health management and a discussion of the issues or new information as it relates to practical plant health management. Topics may include analysis of issues that impact agriculture, horticulture, forestry, industry, environment, or society, including public policy debate, legislation, research efforts and priorities, and the practice of plant health maintenance. Plant Health Reviews may also include "success stories" that describe the successful implementation of new knowledge to the practice of plant health maintenance. An important distinction between Plant Health Reviews and Plant Disease Features is the subject matter covered. Although Plant Health Reviews may cover plant pathology issues, Plant Health Progress is a multidisciplinary journal; and plant health reviews may cover any area of plant health maintenance.

In some instances topics with broad appeal may be published simultaneously as an APSnet feature article and a Plant Health Review. In this case, the author indicates his or her desire for simultaneous publication at the time of submission. Such articles are reviewed through the Plant Health Progress editorial board and published on APSnet and in Plant Health Progress at the same time. In general, Plant Health Reviews contain less technical information than Plant Disease Feature articles because they are intended for an audience that includes individuals who are not specialists in plant pathology. However, material published in Plant Health Progress is expected to meet the same high level of scientific accuracy established for Plant Disease Feature articles. Plant Health Reviews are peer-reviewed, as are Plant Disease Feature articles and are fully citable using Digital Object Identifier (DOI) technology, which is a growing standard in the world of electronic publication. For submissions to PHP contact Tim Murray

Feature articles for Plant Disease are solicited or contributed narratives that summarize significant topics in plant pathology. These topics include, but are not limited to, current information on the biology and control of plant diseases, impact of political or regulatory issues (quarantines, pesticide use, biotechnology) on disease management, reviews of research or disease diagnostic methods, historical perspectives, and innovative teaching techniques. Authors should have considerable experience with the subject and be willing to share insights and impressions.

Feature articles differ from annual reviews in that they should be written for a general audience that includes teachers and scientists outside plant pathology, and specialized jargon should be avoided. Articles also should include numerous figures and photographs to illustrate major points. If you are interested in writing a Feature Article, please develop a one- to two-page outline of the proposed content and forward it to Ned Tisserat (Tissne@plantpath.ksu.edu).