Rick Latin is an Emeritus professor of plant pathology and was a member of the Botany and Plant Pathology faculty for more than 37 years.  For the first part of his tenure at Purdue, Dr. Latin’s research and education efforts focused on the epidemiology and control of diseases of vegetable crops.  In 1995, his attention turned towards turfgrass pathology.  In addition to teaching undergraduates and graduate students, he built a research program that sought to develop practical solutions to turf disease problems in the Midwest.  Dr. Latin’s research focused on factors that influence fungicide performance, fungicide-resistance in turf pathogens, and weather-based systems for scheduling fungicide applications.  In addition to participating in national and regional conferences in the United States and Canada, Dr. Latin has lectured in Europe and Asia on the principles of fungicide action on turf.  He authored many research papers, and the industry standard textbook, A Practical Guide to Turfgrass Fungicides—with the second edition due in early 2021.

Dr. Latin currently works as an academic and industry consultant and is based in Pinehurst, NC