Progress in Mycology

M.K. Rai

Dr M.K. Rai is Professor and Head of the Department of Biotechnology at Amravati University in Maharashtra, India. He has published 150 research papers, more than 100 popular articles and seven books in India and abroad. He is a member of several Scientific Societies and has been a National Scholar for Five years. He has received several prestigious awards, including the father T.A. Mathias award (1989) from the All India Association for Christian Higher Education, and the Medini award (1999) from the Department of Environment and Forest, Government of India. He also received SERC visiting fellowship by Department of Science and Technology (1996), INSA visiting fellowship by Indian National Science Academy (1998) and TWAS-UNESCO Associateship (2002), Italy. He has approximately two decades of teaching and research experience.

George Kovics

Dr G. J. Kövics is a Professor of Plant Pathology and Head of the Plant Protection Department at Debrecen University (Hungary), gained his MSc, PhD, CSc and Dr Habil qualifications at Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He is a renowned mycologist. His main scientific fields are morphological and molecular taxonomy of Phoma and Phoma-like fungi (Coelomycetes), the diagnosis and aetiology of plant fungal diseases, pathogenesis, and epidemiology of Papillonaceous plants (e.g. soybean, chickpea, lupine), grains (wheat stem base diseases), and fruits (strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry). Professor Kövics is also interested in integrated pest management including biological control of plant pathogens. He has published about 200 scientific papers including more than 20 books and chapters both in Hungarian and English. Regularly involved in editing of proceedings and books. He is member of Hungarian and foreign societies. Moreover, he is organizer of international symposia resulting into wide range of collaborative contacts with researchers all over the world.