Elected Vice President
APS welcomes our newest Council member, Francesca Peduto Hand, The Ohio State University, who has been elected as Vice President, and will serve as President of APS for 2027-2028. Below is her leadership experience and view statement from the 2025 officer election.
Leadership Experience
I was born and raised in Florence, Italy, a city renowned worldwide for its Renaissance art and architecture and its beautiful countryside made of rolling hills, olive groves, vineyards, and cypress trees. Although surrounded by farming landscapes since an early age, the place that made me fall in love with agriculture was my father’s hometown in the deep south of the country, where agriculture is mainly subsistence farming. This is where I spent my summers every year, helping my grandparents grow and harvest grains, vegetables, and fruit crops, transforming the crops into meals and preserving and canning for the winter. This also is where I first learned about the effects of plant diseases, pests, and weeds on crop productivity and about the consequences of climate change on our natural resources, as the river from which we were pulling water to irrigate our crops experienced declining water levels as the years went by.
While I knew from that early age that my career would revolve around agriculture, I never imagined that I would become part of such an incredibly impactful discipline. Fast forward 40+ years, I am now a professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Plant Pathology at The Ohio State University, where I lead a teaching, research, and Extension program focused on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and integrated management of diseases affecting ornamental plants. My faculty appointment has allowed me to pursue an active research career; mentor faculty and graduate and undergraduate students; teach the next generation of the agricultural workforce; and interact with a diverse group of stakeholders. From the laboratory to the classroom and extending to the producers, my program proudly integrates all pillars of the land-grant mission.
For as long as I can remember, I have strived to be an active participant of any group or organization of which I have been a part. This personality trait has taken different forms throughout my life and career, but in all circumstances, it was driven by curiosity, a desire for challenge, and a passion for participating in decision-making. Dedicating my time to serve APS was no exception. Over my 17-year APS membership, I volunteered on several subject matter committees, including Integrated Plant Disease Management (2011–2014), Diseases of Ornamental Plants (2013–present; chair 2015–2016), Plant Pathogen and Disease Detection (2015–2018), Turfgrass Pathology (2015–2018), and Diagnostics (2017–2020). I organized, fundraised for, and moderated workshops, special sessions, and field trips at different annual meetings. I also served as editor for Plant Disease Management Reports (2016–2021), and I recently concluded my sixth year as member of the Office of Public Relations and Outreach (OPRO). Wherever I have served, I have cultivated professional and mentoring relationships, developed long-lasting friendships, and found a powerful space for discussing pressing topics and developing new ideas.
Leadership is often measured by a leader’s vision for the future. However, one’s vision cannot be implemented without effective management skills. To this end, I have actively invested in self-development by completing multiple leadership-development programs, such as the nationally recognized LEAD 21 (2022–2023), the President and Provost Leadership Institute (2019–2020), and the Academic Leadership Framework at OSU (2023–2024). Through these intensive experiences, I acquired and enhanced competencies in all areas of leadership. I learned how to use my strengths more effectively, how to build trust among people, and expanded my awareness of diversity and multicultural relationships. Gaining competence in these areas has had a direct effect on my practices, whether that translated into leading my research team more effectively, spearheading initiatives in the governance of my department and institution, or serving my professional organization.
I am deeply honored to have been nominated for the position of vice president of APS. I look forward to the opportunity to serve on the presidential team to continue cultivating my passions, building on my driving principles, and expanding opportunities for all members.
Statement of Vision for APS
The challenges facing plant health are multifaceted and rapidly evolving, and the collective expertise of our professional society is now more critical than ever. APS leadership has identified three strategic goals to fulfill its mission. I am excited for the opportunity to provide a vision for how I will help achieve these goals.
Strategic Goal A: Advancements in plant health science are accelerated through professional collaboration and data sharing.
There is increased demand, from funding agencies to public users, for research to be more collaborative, interdisciplinary, and transparent. Addressing the complex challenges that plant health science is facing requires moving beyond siloed research toward a collaborative, data-driven approach to ensure rapid translation of scientific discoveries into actionable solutions. Data sharing fosters collaboration between researchers, results in a more efficient use of resources, produces solutions faster, and allows evaluation of results on a larger scale. APS has the opportunity to be at the forefront of this movement by fostering a culture of collaboration, transparency, and innovation within the plant health science community and by making data accessible through its journals.
To truly address complex challenges, we must be interdisciplinary but also integrated. No matter how fundamental the research questions that we ask are, we must translate knowledge into practical solutions, work effectively with industry and government to leverage our discoveries, and communicate our message effectively to diverse stakeholders. Increased collaboration between researchers, industry, and Extension professionals is one way that we can achieve this goal. APS is strategically well positioned to provide an arena for professional collaboration. Building on the many great initiatives that our society has spearheaded over the years and on the diverse expertise of our members, I would work to expand opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
Strategic Goal B: A growing workforce has the skills necessary to ensure sustainable plant health.
As the leading professional organization in the field of plant pathology, we must invest in the training and professional development of a robust workforce equipped with the cutting-edge knowledge and practical skills necessary to ensure sustainable plant health. My vision to fulfill this goal includes 1) championing innovative educational programs that integrate fundamental principles of plant pathology with technological advancements; 2) exploring interdisciplinary collaborations with other scientific societies in related disciplines to identify curriculum-building opportunities and resources that we can leverage to ensure our trainees are well-rounded scientists; 3) widening access to educational resources and experiential learning opportunities for a variety of audiences, from students to practitioners to the general public; 4) strengthening relationships between academia, industry, and government to promote diverse career opportunities and bridge the gap between scientific discovery and application.
Strategic Goal C: Our science impacts decisions leading to a sustainable future.
Plant pathology is at the forefront of addressing global challenges. Our collective expertise can help mitigate the negative effects of climate change, protect our land from invasive species, promote environmental stewardship, and ensure food security and safety for a growing population. The sustainability of our future depends on our ability to generate sound scientific content, communicate our message effectively, and build public trust. By serving on the presidential team, I will work tirelessly to amplify the influence of plant pathology in promoting ecosystem health, implementing sustainable and proactive disease management practices, and supporting innovative approaches to advance plant health research. I will work closely with the APS Office of Public Relations and Outreach and the Public Policy Board to strengthen our advocacy efforts and ensure that plant pathology is recognized by policymakers, regulators, and funding agencies as a critical component of sustainable development initiatives. We will promote public awareness of the importance of plant health through targeted outreach programs and educational initiatives and will stress the importance of global plant health approaches to address invasive diseases by supporting international collaborations. By acting on all these fronts, we will ensure that APS remains a leading force in shaping a sustainable future.
