UC Davis Collaboration Helps West African University Student Make History

We've known all along that our support of graduate education reaches far beyond our own UC Davis campus, and Robert (Bob) Gilbertson's recent trip to Mali, West Africa is one example of our global collaboration and impact.

Bob (Professor, Plant Pathology) was in Mali participating in the Ph.D. dissertation defense exam of student Moussa Noussourou. Bob was a co-advisor of Moussa, along with Dr. Rick Foster of Purdue University and Professor Hamidou Maiga of the University of Bamako.

When Moussa passed his examination on March 13, he not only received his well-earned doctoral degree, he also made history – his Ph.D. degree is the first one granted by the Department of Biology at the University of Bamako. “We are all so very proud of Dr. Noussourou and what he has accomplished,” says Bob.

The title of Moussa's thesis: The complex of viruses infecting tomatoes in Mali: Characterization of the virus species involved, identification of tolerant and resistant tomato varieties and the effect of a host-free period on disease development in the irrigated perimeter of Baguineda, Mali.

The support Moussa received from Bob and his colleagues is an example of the collaborative research partnership between UC Davis and Mali – addressing a critical agricultural issue impacting the Malian people. This research also benefits the people in California and throughout the U.S., as these same viruses impact crops grown in our country and the results from this important research in Mali can be applied to these viruses. 

This research was supported by a grant from the USAID as part of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP).