Robert K. Webster

Robert Kent Webster (born 1938) is an American

Upon graduating with his PhD, he was offered a faculty position at UC Davis, though he turned it down because he had been told not to accept a job at the institution where one completed their graduate work. Instead, he accepted a position at North Carolina State University. He briefly worked there before returning to UC Davis. There, he researched the genetics of fungi that affected field crops; he developed a special interest in the pathogens of rice. He also researched barley pathogens.^[5] He served time as the chair of their Department of Plant Pathology, and was additionally the interim dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.^[6] He was the editor of the Annual Review of Phytopathology from 1995–2003.^[7] Webster retired from UC Davis in 2006, at which time he became a professor emeritus.^[4]

Awards and honors

In 1999 he was awarded the California Rice Industry Award in recognition of his services to rice farms. He is an elected fellow of the American Phytopathological Society.^[6]

Personal life and death

He and his wife Lexie née Robison met in high school; Lexie also attended Utah State University.^[3]

References