2024 Recipient: David Hughes

David P. Hughes, Ph.D.

• Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Global Food Security

Areas of Expertise

• My background is evolutionary biology and specifically the behavioral ecology of parasites and ants. Mostly, I worked on the extended phenotype concept, which was put forward by Richard Dawkins. I worked on different models, such as Strepsiptera in wasps and ants, nematodes in ants, and fungi that manipulate ant behavior- 'zombie ants'.
• But in the course of that work, I also did significant work on taxonomy, genomics, metabolomics, histology, ultrastructural morphology, machine learning to enable ant tracking, and some paleontology (which was fun).
• Since starting PlantVillage in 2012, I have worked extensively on machine learning, specifically computer vision of crop diseases, but later extending to computer vision to enable dietary (with Aulo Gelli at IFPRI). I have worked extensively on climate science, especially adaptation and use of satellites and machine learning to understand soil moisture or both ground biomass (with Amulya Yadav and Chaopeng Shen at Penn State). I have also worked on the invention and development of mobile Pyrolosis systems (with Dries Roobroeck and Sheldon Inyana) and capture and storage of carbon in concrete (with Maa'va who worked with Penn State concrete researchers). As the Director of the USAID Innovation Lab (Current and Emerging Threats to Crops), I worked on (and oversaw) research on scaling solutions to global food insecurity. Given the focus on solutions, I then started PlantVillage+ Inc, a Delaware C Corp spun out from the university in 2024 (and part owned by Penn State). To enable co-operative structures and long-term public benefit, PlantVillage+ is being co-founded with Annalyse McCloskey.
• More recently, and given my interest in PlantVillage/PlantVillage+ as a public good, I've become very interested in intellectual property arising from public funding , the organizational structures of corporations and particularly universities and worker cooperatives. Currently doing a study on the evolution of university systems with my alma mater, Oxford, as a case study and the nature of corporate bodies across time, including cooperatives.

• Email dhughes@psu.edu

Full Bio for David P. Hughes, Ph.D.

Full Bio for David P. Hughes, Ph.D.

Dr. Hughes, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Global Food Security,  joined the Department of Entomology in 2011 and has since made notable strides in both foundational and translational research. Promoted to Professor in 2021, he also holds the prestigious Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Global Food Security.

Dr. Hughes' research excellence is evident in two distinct lines of work. First, his groundbreaking studies on fungal infections affecting ant behavior have provided deep insights into the effects of microbes on insect brain neurochemistry. His work in this area has been recognized with the Cozzarelli Prize from the National Academy of Science, a testament to his leadership in the fields of animal behavior and parasitism.

In a separate line of research, Dr. Hughes has pursued and developed PlantVillage, an initiative aimed at empowering smallholder farmers across Africa, Asia, and the America with affordable technologies that democratize access to knowledge. PlantVillage is designed to allow farmers to detect and manage pests, diseases, and other threats to crops. One of the earliest successes of PlantVillage was the development of deep learning AI for image-based plant disease detection, a project that has been widely recognized for its impact on disease management for small East African farms.

PlantVillage has recently extended beyond pest management. The initiative also promotes carbon capture through the use of biochar, improving soil health and diversifying incomes via carbon markets. In recognition of these accomplishments, PlantVillage received the CARBON XPRIZE Milestone Prize from the Elon Musk Foundation in 2022. Additionally, PlantVillage focuses on improving adolescent nutrition and ensuring healthy school meals through AI-driven diet tracking apps.

Dr. Hughes has secured extraordinary amounts of extramural funding and gifts, totaling more than $31.2 million from highly competitive programs funded by NSF, NIH, the Gates Foundation, and others. Notably, he was awarded the USAID Project “Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops” with a grant of $39 million. His ability to attract such significant funding underscores the impact and importance of his work.

His research achievements are supported by impressive metrics. He has published over 100 refereed journal articles in prestigious publications such as Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, and Current Biology. His work has been cited over 13,555 times, giving him an h-index of 46. In the last two years alone, his work has been cited more than 2,000 times annually.

Dr. Hughes is also a dedicated mentor, and his commitment to student engagement and mentorship is evident in the success of his mentees, many of whom have co-authored publications and received awards for their research.

In addition to the Cozzarelli Prize, Dr. Hughes has received numerous accolades, including the Newsweek Top 50 Disruptors in America Award, the FAST Company Most Innovative Award, and the INSPIRE Award from CGIAR. Most recently, he was honored with the W. LaMarr Kopp International Faculty Achievement Award at Penn State in 2024.

In summary, Professor Hughes exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding researcher through his groundbreaking contributions to both foundational and translational research. His dedication to applying his research for global impact and food security underscores his leadership and aligns with the values embodied by the Alex and Jessie C. Black Award.