Pavan Silva is an M.S. student at Colorado State University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Microbiology with minors in Zoology and Chemistry from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. Pavan’s passion for plant pathology and mycology developed during his undergraduate studies. His undergraduate research project was focused on identifying fungi associated with mango anthracnose and leaf spot diseases in Sri Lanka, where mangoes are a vital source of nutrition. In the Stewart Lab, he studies the population biology and management of Cytospora canker in peach trees. This disease, caused by Cytospora plurivora, significantly impacts Colorado’s peach production, and understanding the pathogen is essential for effective management. He is originally from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and in his free time, he enjoys watching documentaries, reading and traveling.