The Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology welcomes Nar Ranabhat as an assistant professor and Extension plant pathologist at the Soil, Plant, and Pest Center located in Nashville, TN. Ranabhat is scheduled to join the team on July 1, 2023.
In this role, Ranabhat will specialize in diagnosing and managing diseases of ornamental plants, nursery plants, and turf in commercial and residential, natural, or managed systems. Ranabhat will utilize traditional and innovative tools to educate diverse audiences, ranging from Extension agents to government agencies and agricultural producers.
Throughout Ranabhat’s graduate and postdoctoral research, he has worked on employing a range of traditional and advanced molecular plant disease diagnostic tools. While obtaining his master’s degree, Ranabhat focused on identifying soil-borne and foliar pathogens through conventional diagnostic methods including isolation, culture, and microscopy. Based on that foundation, his doctoral and postdoctoral work delved into immunological techniques. “I am excited to apply these techniques in the identification of novel, emerging and re-emerging fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens that pose a threat to Tennessee’s agricultural production,” said Ranabhat.
Ranabhat received a bachelor’s degree in biology with a specialization in entomology from Tribhuvan University, a master’s degree in agriculture in tropics and sub-tropics from the University of Hohenheim, and a master’s degree in land resource and environmental science from Montana State University. He earned his Ph.D. in plant pathology from Kansas State University. His dissertation is titled, “Exploring the wheat virome using high-throughput Nanopore sequencing: A metagenomic and phylogenetic analysis.”
“I am eager to meet with all the stakeholders and to learn about their businesses, production systems, and disease problems they face,” said Ranabhat. “During my initial months, I will closely work with county extension agents and specialists, growers, and plan to conduct a needs assessment to prioritize extension and research program. I look forward to collaborating with UTIA colleagues to enhance community support through our combined efforts in research and extension. I am excited about the opportunities to work with nursery growers, landscape industries on plant disease diagnosis caused by viral, fungal, and bacterial pathogens and their management. I cannot wait to meet you all.”
Ranabhat enjoys hiking and trekking. “Growing up in the mountainous regions of Pokhara, Nepal, I love visiting mountains and immersing myself in nature,” said Ranabhat. Additionally, I thoroughly enjoy tasting and cooking new cuisines.” If you are ever in the Smoky Mountains, keep an eye out for Ranabhat, as he might be spotted on a few trails, indulging in his passion.