Rate My Professor Jane Stewart

Jane Stewart is an Associate Professor of Plant Pathology in the Department of Agricultural Biology within the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University. She earned her PhD in Plant Pathology from Washington State University in 2011, MS in Forestry from the University of Vermont in 2003, and BS in Biology from the University of Oregon in 1999. Prior to her current position, which she assumed as Assistant Professor in 2015, she held postdoctoral positions at the University of Georgia (2013-2015) and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (2011-2012), along with earlier roles including Graduate Research Assistant at Washington State University and Biological Technician at the USDA Forest Service.

Stewart's research specializes in the biology, ecology, and genetics of emerging tree and plant pathogenic fungi, employing population genetics and genomic methods to investigate fungal-plant interactions that influence host specialization, pathogenicity, and virulence. Her work emphasizes genomic drivers of fungal species delimitation and divergence, particularly for pathogens affecting Colorado’s forests, shade trees, fruit trees, and global forests. The Stewart Tree Pathology Lab examines forest and shade tree diseases, fruit tree pathogens, and conducts tree health outreach. Notable contributions include studies on Cytospora species management in peaches, white pine blister rust spore movement, and genetic diversity in pathogens like Exobasidium maculosum (PLoS ONE, 2015) and Phytophthora plurivora population history (PLoS ONE, 2014). She has authored or co-authored over 180 publications, accumulating more than 2,700 citations on Google Scholar. Stewart serves as Editor-in-Chief of Forest Pathology and was selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar for 2024-25, traveling to Jordan to teach forest pathology, collaborate on afforestation projects, and advise stakeholders.