Kirk Broders is the Curator of the ARS Culture Collection (NRRL) with a background mycology and plant pathology. He received his BSc. in Biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2004) and his PhD in Plant Pathology from The Ohio State University (2008) where he studied the ecology and epidemiology of soilborne pathogens of corn and soybean. Dr. Broders was a faculty member at the University of New Hampshire from 2010-2014 and Colorado State University from 2014-2018 where his research focused on the ecology, evolution and epidemiology of plant pathogens in both forested and agricultural ecosystems. Prior to joining the ARS he was a staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama where he was studying the role of fungal and oomycete pathogens in driving tree species diversity in the tropics. In his position as the Curator of the NRRL Dr. Broders is responsible for managing the ARS Culture Collection and will work to increase collaborative efforts between the collection and other units at the National Agricultural Utilization Research Center as well as researchers from other ARS units, Universities and industry.