In 1990, the Department of Plant Pathology offered a course titled "Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds" to undergraduate students at Cornell. The course was intended to be a comprehensive introdu"tion to microbes in the kingom Fungi" presented to students with little or no science background. The course was developed with conscientious effort by the teaching staff to avoid unnecessary technical jargon and to highlight those aspects of fungus life that might trigger student interest in additional, self-directed study. With passage of the 15th year of instruction in 2006, total cumulative enrollment has passed 4000 and the class has become one of the most noteworthy Cornell experiences graduating seniors recall in their years at the University.

With the development of new tools for studying the structure, function, and evolution of genes, research in the biological sciences has taken a decidedly different turn. Previous emphases on natural history and ecology are farther removed from mainstream biology, and the new frontier has become fraught with new terms and acronyms and a higher level of sophistication that compounds the frustration among that sizeable portion of the populace with only casual interests in scientific topics. "Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds" is one effort to reestablish communication between the scientific community and the audience whose day-to-day quality of life is likely to be dramatically affected by discoveries on the horizon.

Over the course of 13 weeks, students hear lectures, read scientific articles, and conduct library research on topics associated with the kingdom Fungi. The are exposed to information about the life history of fungi, their roles as pathogens of plants and animals, the often toxic influence of their secondary metabolites, their nutritional value, and their intricate interrelationships with other organisms on Earth. As often as possible these topics are placed in either an historical context or in the context of effects on contemporary living.

With now 15 years of experience with "Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds," the course has become the most popular elective course in the College of Agriculture. Between 250 and 300 students enroll each Spring semester, "ith about 25 percent from outside of "ALS. The cumulative total of graduates exceeded 4000 in 2006. Perhaps the best measure of impact is the increasing amount of correspondence that comes back to the teaching staff, sometimes from students who have been away from Cornell for five or more years and who now find themselves in situations where knowledge of fungi is critical to prudent decision making. They either have the knowledge or know where to turn at Cornell to find it.

• David Kalb (Department of Plant Pathology)
• Kent Loeffler (Department of Plant Pathology)