New York State IPM Program Welcomes New Director

By Melissa Jo Hill, communications specialist and writer, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE). A version of this article first appeared on the CCE website and in the Cornell Chronicle.

Alejandro Calixto, formerly head of the Florida Research Center for Corteva Agriscience, is the new director of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (NYSIPM). Calixto officially took the reins May 16, following the retirement of Jennifer Grant.

Calixto brings experience with the land-grant system and mission, from extension and research appointments in the Texas A&M University System focused on ecology and management of urban and agricultural insect pests. He received his PhD in entomology from Texas A&M.

“Dr. Calixto will be a welcome addition to the New York State IPM team, as we continue to reduce risk in agriculture and communities,” Grant said. “He brings experience from both academia and industry, including pest prediction systems and invasive species management. He will help lead our efforts in protecting pollinators, pesticide risk assessment, and providing IPM tools to farms, schools, and homes across the state.”

NYSIPM and other state IPM programs address pest management issues throughout their respective states, providing research and education to individuals, businesses, and institutions. The New York program is based at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York.

“I am delighted to be joining the integrated pest management team and the Cornell AgriTech family,” Calixto said. “This is a tremendous opportunity and responsibility for me to contribute to the state of New York and the land-grant university system, to work towards the adoption of ecologically based principles, and to educate the next generation of citizens on IPM practices.”

State IPM Programs and Regional IPM Centers: Localized Expertise and Multistate Coordination

While there is geographic and subject-matter overlap between the state IPM programs and the regional IPM centers, the centers focus more on coordinating and sharing knowledge and resources throughout their multistate regions. Given the state programs’ more on-the-ground, extension-focused responsibilities, they are vital partners in the centers’ work.

“I am pleased to join New York State IPM in welcoming Alejandro Calixto,” said Deborah G. Grantham, director of the Northeastern IPM Center. “The program has consistently distinguished itself as a highly effective advocate and instrument of IPM throughout New York, and under Dr. Calixto’s leadership, it is well positioned to build on that legacy. I look forward to collaborating with him.”

Learn more about NYSIPM at nysipm.cornell.edu.