Julia Kerrigan

Julia Kerrigan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Clemson University in South Carolina. The underlying theme in her research is elucidating the basic biology of fungi and their interactions with other organisms. Much of her research has focused on fungi associated with trees, and she has also worked on filamentous fungal biofilms, yeasts, and smuts. While at Clemson she has worked to increase the visibility of the importance of fungi and discipline of mycology. To that end, she initiated a popular mycology course, Fungi and Civilization, that is taught every Spring, and she teaches Introductory Mycology and Mycology Practicum every Fall. Julia has also taught Integrated Forest Pest Management and Fungal Ecology and Pathology. She also oversees undergraduate research projects; our current goals are to grow alternative mycelium-based products as well as develop lesson plans that incorporate fungi in the South Carolina K-12 curriculum standards.

Julia earned a BS in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, MS in Plant Pathology from the University of Georgia-Athens under the guidance of Charles Mims, and PhD in Plant Pathology from Washington State University-Pullman under the guidance of Jack Rogers. She was a postdoc in Jeff Stone’s laboratory at Oregon State University. She values her mycological lineage and is grateful for the time her mentors spent to improve her education as well as their dedication to mycology. She has served on 31 graduate students’ committees and been the major advisor for eight graduate students.

Julia enjoys service-based activities, some of her contributions to mycological organizations include the following. She is the co-founder and organizer of the South Carolina Upstate Mycological Society (SCUMS), which has been active since 2008 with regular forays and monthly meetings featuring invited speakers. She is an enthusiastic attendee of the annual Mid-Atlantic States Mycology Conference and has hosted it twice. She is currently MSA Past President, having served as Immediate Past President, President, President Elect, and Vice President. She is also a member of the Program Committee, Nominations Committee, and Honorary Awards committee. Previously she served as MSA Councilor of Ecology/Pathology (2019-2020), Inoculum Editor (2014-2016), Student Awards Committee member and Chair (2012-2015), Mycologia Associate Editor (2007-2011).  Sporadic activities include Mycologia manuscript reviewer and Student Awards Committee ad hoc judge. She has been an MSA member since 1993 and looks forward to serving MSA in the future!