Dr. Akif Eskalen is a Plant Pathologist, Cooperative Extension Specialist, and lecturer in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of California, Davis. He received a Ph.D. in Mycology and Plant Pathology from the University of Cukurova, Adana in Turkey. Dr. Eskalen studied as a post-doctoral researcher and then Project Scientist at UC Davis between 2001-2007. He worked on fungal diseases on subtropical crops as a CE specialist at UC Riverside between 2007-2017 before taking over Dr. Gubler's vacant position at UC Davis in September 2018. Dr. Eskalen's primary research interests include the detection, biology, epidemiology, and control of fungal pathogens on the grapevine, fruit trees, and small fruits.

Dr. Eskalen had the award of arboriculture research by the International Society of Arboriculture in 2016, and an outstanding education material award with his book chapter in California Master Gardener Handbook in 2015. He served as the president of the American Phytopathological Society, Pacific Division in 2020.