Find a Colleague

To assist in finding new colleagues in your field of study, we invite you to post your contact information and a short profile about your work.

Steven Arthurs

BioBee USA

Pest Expertise: aphids, cranberry girdler, lepidoptera, nematodes, predatory mites, spider mites, western flower thrips, white grubs

Crops and Commodities: apples, blueberries, cranberries, eggplant, fruit, greenhouse, ornamentals, raspberries, small fruit, strawberries, tomatoes, tree fruit, vegetables

IPM Tools: biological control

Bio: I provide technical support and sales for BioBee USA. We produce and distribute beneficial insects, mites, and nematodes.

Website: www.biobee.us
Email: steven.arthurs@biobee.us
Phone: (509) 930-7123

Collaboration Interest: Crops of interest include ornamentals, strawberries and other small fruits, cannabis, and hops. I can provide materials and additional guidance for research initiatives involving the use of beneficial arthropods and nematodes.

Carol Delaney

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry – Animal Health Division

Pest Expertise: barberpole worm, livestock reportable diseases, parasites

Crops and Commodities: cervids, dairy, goats, livestock, poultry, sheep, swine

IPM Tools: decision support aids, diagnostic tool, education, IPM priorities & guidelines, regional prevention plans, mobile app

Bio: As Livestock Specialist for the state of Maine Animal and Plant Health Division, I work with farmers and service providers on topics of disease surveillance, biosecurity, emergency preparedness, regulations for marketing, as examples. I am mostly an outreach educator with some regulatory functions thrown in. I support other staff in the Division of Animal Health in Animal Disease Traceability.

My strength is in small ruminant production and, in particular, dairy animals. I am a member and Country Representative for the International Goat Association with contacts in Europe and North and South America. I have volunteered in Mali and El Salvador with small ruminant farmers. Author/Editor of 2012 publication: A Guide to Starting a Commercial Goat Dairy.

Funded with Animal Health colleague (Carolyn Hurwitz, DVM) with Northeast SARE, 2020–2022 Partnership Grant “Biosecurity Preparedness, Infectious Disease Prevention and Farmer Training on Northern New England Swine Farms.”

I have an M.S. from Cornell University in Ruminant Nutrition and a B.S. from UVM in Animal Science and Dairy Technology (milk product processing).

Website: www.maine.gov/dacf/ahw/animal_health/index.shtml
Email: carol.delaney@maine.gov
Phone: (207) 215-4968

Collaboration Interest: Topics of disease surveillance, biosecurity, emergency preparedness, regulations for marketing and a good investigation into recordkeeping systems that farmers can easily use for health records and identification records as well as for production and goal monitoring.

Time Frame for Collaboration: Flexible

Location of Collaborators: Northeast states

Amara Dunn

New York State IPM Program at Cornell University

Areas of Expertise: bacterial diseases, fungus, insects, weeds

Crops and Commodities: Christmas trees, fruit, greenhouse, livestock, ornamentals, small fruit, small grain, tree fruit, turf, vegetables

IPM Tools: biological control, education, habitat modification

Bio: Amara received her MS and PhD in plant pathology at Cornell University, with a focus on vegetable diseases. After completing a post-doctoral position in plant pathology at Cornell and teaching in the Biology Department at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY, she began her current position as Biocontrol Specialist with the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program in June 2017. Her responsibilities are primarily extension (with a little applied research), and her goal is to help New Yorkers use biocontrol as part of an IPM strategy, both in commercial agriculture, and in all of the places where people live, work, learn, and play.

Website: nysipm.cornell.edu/environment/biocontrol/
Email: arc55@cornell.edu
Phone: (315) 787-2206

Collaboration Interest: My current interests include conservation biocontrol through planting habitat that supports natural enemies, and integrating use of microbial biocontrol agents (biopesticides) into IPM. I am not limited to specific commodities or types of pests (although clearly I don’t have time to work on all of them at once!). I am also very interested in using active learning strategies in extension education.

Gary Fish

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Pest Expertise: ants, aphids, apple maggot, apple scab, browntail moth, cockroaches, colony collapse disorder, Colorado potato beetle, conifer and Christmas tree nursery pests, European swallow-wort, fire blight (Erwinia amylovora), flea beetles, fly speck, fungus, herbicide resistant weeds, honey bee mite, insects, invasive terrestrial plants, lepidoptera, mold, mummy berry disease, nematodes, plum curculio, potato leafhopper, powdery mildew, predatory mites, rodents, scale, septoria leaf spot, slugs, small fruit insects, weeds & diseases, small hive beetle, sooty blotch, Sparganothis fruitworm, spider mites, spotted wing drosophila, striped cucumber beetle, swallow-wort, Swede midge, tarnished plant bug, ticks, varroa mite, weeds, western flower thrips, white grubs, wildlife, wireworm

Crops and Commodities: apples, blueberries, Christmas trees, conifers, flowers, fruit, grapes, hemp, honey bees, ornamentals, pollinators, potatoes, raspberries, roses, small fruit, sunflowers, tree fruit, turf, vegetables

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, decision support aids, diagnostic tool, education, eradication, exclusion/avoidance, forecasting, habitat modification, host resistance, IPM priorities & guidelines, mechanical control, mobile app, modeling, monitoring, pesticides, risk assessment

Bio:
Title: Maine State Horticulturist
Degree: B.S. Forest and Wildlife Management from the University of Maine, College of Forest Resources in 1982, Master of Policy, Planning, and Management 2023.
Experience: State Horticulturist since 2015. Manager, Pesticide Programs for the Board of Pesticides Control for 28 years. Off and on practicing Licensed Professional Forester since 1985, Kents Hill Forestry Services. Former chair of the Arborist Board. Worked as a horticulturist for ChemLawn Services Corporation for 5 years, 1983–1988.
Personal: Grew up in Farmington, Maine. An entomologist from birth and was inspired to love plants by my mother, who always grew beautiful roses and rock gardens. I am also a landscape and nature photographer (Phish Photography on Etsy).

Website: www.maine.gov/dacf/php/index.shtml
Email: gary.fish@maine.gov
Phone: (207) 287-7545

Collaboration Interest: My primary focus of late is invasive species management. Especially invasive terrestrial plants, but also insects and pathogens.

Location of Collaborators: Northeastern U.S.

Matt Frye

New York State IPM Program at Cornell University

Pest Expertise: ants, bed bugs, brown marmorated stink bug, cockroaches, rodents, ticks

Bio: I provide education and conduct research on pests that occur in and around buildings where people live, work, learn and play. My goal is to help people prevent issues with pests such as rodents, bed bugs, ticks, cockroaches, and indoor flies; or to provide management recommendations for existing problems.

Website: nysipm.cornell.edu/people/matt-frye/

Collaboration Interest: I am interested in projects that will improve the efficacy of structural pest management and increase adoption of IPM practices by industry. This may include research and demonstration projects on a variety of structural pest issues, as well as extension work to share new resources, techniques and training programs.

Jeff Garnas

University of New Hampshire

Areas of Expertise: fungi, forest insects and pathogens

IPM Tools: biological control, host resistance, modeling

Bio: I am a population and community ecologist and have focused on invasive insects and pathogens in forest systems. I am interested in understanding the evolutionary ecology of invasion, including genetic consequences of population bottlenecks and admixture on adaptive evolution in invaded ecosystems. I currently work with a number of systems including the emerald ash borer, the southern pine beetle, and beech bark disease, among others.

Website: mypages.unh.edu/garnaslab/
Email: jeff.garnas@unh.edu

Luke Gervase

Long Island Invasive Species Management Area

Pest Expertise: European swallow-wort, insects, invasive terrestrial plants, small fruit insects, weeds & diseases, swallow-wort, ticks, various

Crops and Commodities: ornamentals, roses

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, decision support aids, diagnostic tool, education, eradication, exclusion/avoidance, forecasting, habitat modification, host resistance, mechanical control, mobile app, monitoring, pesticides

Bio: We are a voluntary partnership of many organizations from the geographic area that includes Staten Island (Richmond County), Long Island (Kings [Brooklyn], Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties), and eleven additional coastal plain islands. We are one of eight PRISMs (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management) that cover all of New York State. We believe we can help conserve LIISMA’s biodiversity, wildlife habitat, recreation resources, scenic quality, and crop production, while protecting human health and safety, by facilitating cooperation and coordination among land owners and managers to reduce the threat of human-introduced invasive species. We also believe we can reduce the costs of invasive species management by preventing and eradicating new invasive species infestations before they become established.

Collaboration Interest:

Build partnerships and facilitate coordination among stakeholders.
Prevent new invasive species introductions.
Gather new information about invasive species through field work and research.
Train agency staff and volunteers in identification, prevention, mapping, monitoring, and management protocols.
Rapidly detect and respond to new invaders.
Help manage established invasive species to protect and restore target resources.
Monitor changes and evaluate results of management efforts.
Elevate the profile of the invasive species issue through education and outreach with an emphasis on prevention measures and Best Management Practices.
Establish new funding, policy, and management support at the State, County and Town levels.

Website: www.liisma.org
Email: liismaprism@gmail.com
Phone: (631) 560-9945

Stanton Gill

University of Maryland Extension and Montgomery College

Pest Expertise: aphids, conifer and Christmas tree nursery pests, flea beetles, insects, lepidoptera, scale, spider mites

Crops and Commodities: Christmas trees, flowers, greenhouse, nursery plants

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, education, pesticides

Bio: Extension Specialist, Tenured Faculty (professor rank) IPM Nursery and Greenhouse Management

Website: extension.umd.edu/ipm
Email: Sgill@umd.edu

Collaboration Interest: IPM insect biological control for nursery and greenhouses.

Pierre Girod

Rutgers University

Pest Expertise: brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB)

Crops and Commodities: apples, beans, corn, fruit, nectarines, ornamentals, peaches, pears, peppers, soybeans, stone fruit, tomatoes, tree fruit, vegetables

IPM Tools: biological control, monitoring

Bio: The main topic of my research as a postdoc researcher is to investigate the distribution of Trissolcus japonicus (Hym.: Scelionidae) and to evaluate its potential as a biological control agent against Halyomorpha halys (Het.: Pentatomidae) in the eastern USA. Field collection, monitoring, host target assessments in the laboratory and various habitats, and population genetic diversity analyses. PhD at the University of Neuchâtel & CABI, Switzerland. Classical biological control of Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae) with Ganaspis cf. brasiliensis (Hym.: Figitidae).

Website: entomology.rutgers.edu/personnel/faculty.html
Email: pierre.girod@rutgers.edu

Heather Grab

Cornell University

Pest Expertise: insects; small fruit insects, weeds & diseases; tarnished plant bug

Crops and Commodities: pollinators, small fruit, strawberries, hemp

IPM Tools: biological control, decision support aids, education, forecasting, habitat modification, modeling, monitoring

Bio: I am an applied entomologist using spatial analysis and quantitative tools to understand why communities of pest and beneficial insects vary across farms and to evaluate strategies for integrated pest and pollinator management. My prior work focused on strategies to control tarnished plant bug in strawberry production systems in NYS while also supporting pollination services from native bees using field-edge wildflower plantings. As a member of the Hemp Team at Cornell, I now work with students and colleagues to monitor emerging pests of hemp and develop integrated pest management strategies for fiber, grain, and cannabinoid hemp production systems.

Website: cals.cornell.edu/heather-grab
Email: heathergrab@cornell.edu

Collaboration Interest: I’m excited to collaborate on projects in the area of integrated pest and pollinator management and on projects where I can contribute spatial and quantitative skills.

Deborah Grantham

Northeastern IPM Center, Cornell University

Expertise: education, communication, partnership building

IPM Tools: collaboration with state IPM programs in Northeast, other partners in the Northeast

Bio: My education and training is in geology and geophysics. I have spent most of my career working in water resources and other environmental resources management, particularly non-formal education. Some of that experience is with invasive species. Currently, I am Director of the Northeastern IPM Center, based at Cornell University.

Collaboration Interest: The Northeastern IPM Center assists and participates in education, training, technical assistance, communications campaigns, and partnership building throughout the Northeast and across the country. The Center also offers competitive funding for IPM researchers, managers, educators, and practitioners/growers in the Northeast.

Website: www.northeastipm.org
Email: dgg3@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 255-8879

Kelly Hamby

University of Maryland

Pest Expertise: insects, slugs, spotted wing drosophila, corn earworm

Crops and Commodities: blueberries, corn (field), corn (sweet), raspberries, soybeans

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, education, habitat modification, IPM priorities & guidelines, monitoring, pesticides

Bio: Kelly is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Entomology. Her research and extension program addresses invasive and emerging insect pest issues, evaluating and optimizing pest management programs, and development of sustainable alternative management tactics, in Mid Atlantic small fruit, sweet corn, and grain crop systems. She is also interested in understanding insect interactions with free-living microorganisms (yeasts and fruit rots) to improve pest management. She received her B.S. in Environmental Toxicology, M.S. in Entomology, and Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of California Davis.

Collaboration Interest: I am currently leading an SCRI team focused on corn earworm management in sweet corn that welcomes anyone who is interested in connecting with the team (cewipm.org). My lab also works a lot with spotted wing drosophila in small fruit, slugs in soybeans, non-target effects of pesticides in field crops, and insect interactions with yeasts and fruit rot fungi.

Website: hambylab.weebly.com
Email: kahamby@umd.edu
Phone: (301) 314-1068

Erica Holm

Mass Audubon

Pest Expertise: ants, bacterial diseases, blight (fire), colony collapse disorder, conifer and Christmas tree nursery pests, fungus, herbicide resistant weeds, insects, invasive terrestrial plants, lepidoptera, mold, nematodes, parasites, rodents, scale, ticks, various, weeds, wildlife, urban IPM, urban forest pests

Crops and Commodities: Christmas trees, conifers, honey bees, ornamentals, peaches, pears, pollinators, raspberries, roses, tree fruit, turf, vegetables, urban vegetation, urban wildlife

Bio: I am an urban ecologist currently working with ecological management in Massachusetts cities including invasive plant species management, rodenticides and rodent IPM, urban forest pests and pathology, and tree nursery IPM.

Website: www.linkedin.com/in/erica-holm/
Email: eholm@massaudubon.org
Phone: (617) 620-7683

Collaboration Interest: Any urban ecology projects in Massachusetts, or where MA cities could collaborate in existing IPM projects.

Location of Collaborators: Massachusetts

Ashley Kennedy

Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife, Mosquito Control Section

Expertise: ticks

IPM Tools: education

Bio: I run Delaware’s tick and tick-borne pathogen surveillance program.

Collaboration Interest: Looking forward to any kind of collaboration relating to ticks that occur in Delaware (especially Amblyomma americanum, Ixodes scapularis, Dermacentor variabilis, Amblyomma maculatum, Haemaphysalis longicornis); also interested in soft ticks (e.g., Carios kelleyi).

Email: ashley.kennedy@delaware.gov

Kathleen Leahy

Polaris Orchard Management

Pest Expertise: aphids, apple leaf curling midge, apple maggot, apple scab, bacterial diseases, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), European brown rot, fire blight, fly speck, obliquebanded leafroller, oriental fruit moth, parasites, plum curculio, potato leafhopper, powdery mildew, predatory mites, scale, small fruit insects, weeds & diseases, sooty blotch, spider mites, spotted wing drosophila, tarnished plant bug, winter moth

Crops and Commodities: apples, blueberries, cherries, fruit, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, raspberries, small fruit, stone fruit, tree fruit

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, decision support aids, modeling, monitoring, pesticides

Bio: IPM tree fruit consultant working directly with 20+ growers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and eastern New York since 1993. Worked as a field technician for UMass Apple IPM Program for 10 years before that. MS in Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences from UMass.

Collaboration Interest: Open to a wide variety of collaborations — would like to see more cooperation between consultants and Extension/research workers. Advanced IPM; invasives; multi-pronged management approaches... all that stuff.

Website: polarisipm.com
Email: polaris2@rcn.com
Phone: (413) 374-7669

Dion Lerman

Pennsylvania IPM Program, Dept. of Entomology, Penn State

Pest Expertise: ants, Asian tiger mosquito, bed bugs, insects, mold, rodents, ticks, urban ecosystems

Crops and Commodities: urban

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, education, exclusion/avoidance, habitat modification, host resistance, mechanical control, mobile app, pesticides, urban

Bio: Dion Lerman is the Environmental Health Programs Specialist for the Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management Program, an autonomous grant funded program housed within Penn State Extension. Since 2007, he has conducted outreach, education, and research on improving pest management efficacy and safety in low-income, ethnically diverse communities in the Philadelphia area. He is an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) and a licensed pesticide applicator (PA Applicator #705688). Dion leads Healthy Homes and IPM trainings for residents, property managers, childcare providers and schools, pest control operators, and others across the region and nation. He has worked in adult continuing education for Drexel University, taught for Fairleigh-Dickinson University; and provided career training for homeless mothers, and for ex-offenders in Philadelphia. Dion has a Masters of Public Health, and a B.S. in Hospitality Management, both from Drexel University.

Website: extension.psu.edu/ipm
Email: dlerman@psu.edu
Phone: (215) 264-0682

Collaboration Interest: PA IPM is an urban IPM program, working with historically marginalized populations to reduce pests and pesticide exposure, and to improve the quality of life in their communities. We are interested in collaborative projects working with urban pests and systems, especially on rodents, cockroaches, and bed bugs. Originally an outreach and education program, or focus has shifted to technical assistance and training, as well as urban policy issues.

Barbara Liedl

West Virginia State University

Pest Expertise: aphids, early blight, late blight, septoria leaf spot, spider mites

Crops and Commodities: flowers, greenhouse, ornamentals, peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, vegetables

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, education, host resistance, IPM priorities & guidelines, monitoring

Email: liedlbe@wvstateu.edu
Phone: (304) 204-4037

Scott Lucas

City of Columbus, Ohio

Pest Expertise: colony collapse disorder, herbicide resistant weeds, invasive terrestrial plants, rodents, weeds, wildlife

Crops and Commodities: conifers, flowers, honey bees, pollinators, sunflowers

IPM Tools: cultural control, decision support aids, education, eradication, IPM priorities & guidelines, mechanical control, mobile app, pesticides

Bio: Working for the City of Columbus, Ohio, as the Infrastructure Operations Coordinator. Oversees vegetation management and other roadside maintenance. Certified Arborist, licensed pesticide applicator and chair of AKR20 Standing Committee on Roadside Maintenance Operations.

Email: SELucas@columbus.gov
Phone: (614) 645-7458

Collaboration Interest: I would like to collaborate on any projects involving IPM on roadside vegetation both at the City of Columbus and with the Transportation Research Board. AKR20 is looking for friends and committee members to work together with on NCHRP projects and synthesis.

Ellen Mallory

University of Maine

Expertise: weeds

Crops and Commodities: small grain

IPM Tools: cultural control, mechanical control

Bio: My research focuses on how to manage biologically based fertility systems to supply crop nutrient needs and improve soil health and productivity. Prior work evaluated organic fertility strategies for bread wheat yield and quality, compost as a fertility source for lowbush blueberry, and soil amendment impacts on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics, soil quality, and potato yield stability. My current research (and extension) program aims to help farmers and end-users expand the local food, beverage, and feed grain sector in New England. Projects include green manure management, weed management, variety evaluations for small grains, pulses, and oilseeds, and crop modeling.

Collaboration Interest: Organic small grain production

Website: umaine.edu/foodandagriculture/mallory2/
Email: ellen.mallory@maine.edu
Phone: (207) 581-2942

Caroline Marschner

Cornell University

Pest Expertise: insects, invasive species, invasive terrestrial plants, various, weeds

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, decision support aids, diagnostic tool, education, forecasting, modeling, monitoring

Bio: I work on all taxa of invasive species. At present, my work focuses on forest pests and agricultural weeds. I am the program manager for the NYS Hemlock Initiative, and for the NY Agricultural ID Network and Multistate Weed Emergence projects.

Collaboration Interest: I am interested in invasive species programs, especially as relating to agricultural weeds, forest pests, or climate change.

Website: weedecology.css.cornell.edu/about/people.php?id=38
Email: cam369@cornell.edu

Michael Millican

New York City Department of Healthy and Mental Hygiene, Healthy Homes Program

Pest Expertise: ants, Asian tiger mosquito, bed bugs, cockroaches, colony collapse disorder, rodents

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, decision support aids, diagnostic tools, education, eradication, exclusion/avoidance, habitat modification, IPM priorities & guidelines, mechanical control, modeling, monitoring, pesticides, pest prevention by design

Bio: Urban IPM Specialist working on IPM interventions in the homes of children with Asthma. Previously developed municipal and county wide IPM programs in California. Currently providing training to architects, developers and construction managers on pest prevention during all stages of the building life cycle, from design and construction, to operations and maintenance and retrofit. Focused on combining building upgrades related to energy and water efficiency with health upgrades focused on pest prevention and IPM best practices.

Collaboration Interest: I am interested in working on projects focused on pest prevention by design, IPM interventions in the homes of children with asthma, and pest management in cultural institutions and municipalities.

Website: www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/pests-and-pesticides-building-owners.page
Email: mmillican@health.nyc.gov
Phone: (646) 632-6607

Michael A. Monzon

Rutgers Cooperative Extension

Pest Expertise: insects, parasites, beetles, true flies (blow flies, house flies)

Crops and Commodities: forage, greenhouse, livestock, pollinators

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, education, forecasting, IPM priorities & guidelines, modeling

Bio: I use forensic entomology, archaeology and other disciplines to study evolving pest and disease pressure.

Collaboration Interest: I am interested in a wide-range of collaborations but especially projects that are interested in incorporating historical perspectives on insect biodiversity.

Location of Collaborators: Northeastern United States, Northern Europe, Arctic regions

Email: mmonzon@njaes.rutgers.edu

Virginia Moore

Cornell University

Pest Expertise: insects, vetch bruchid

Crops and Commodities: alfalfa, cover crops, dairy, forage, sweet corn

IPM Tools: host resistance

Bio: Virginia’s research focus is on plant breeding for sustainable cropping systems. She takes multiple approaches, including breeding for organic systems, for intercropping and polyculture systems, for pest resistance, and for ecosystem services. She works in a range of species, including cover crops, perennial forages, bioenergy crops, and hemp.

Collaboration Interest: I am currently breeding hairy vetch as a cover crop, and vetch bruchid is a major seed pest in the species. I am screening and selecting for vetch bruchid resistance and am interested in identifying a collaborator to explore other IPM strategies for this pest.

Website: cals.cornell.edu/virginia-moore
Email: vm377@cornell.edu

Jaimin Patel

Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institution

Pest Expertise: apple scab, early blight, fire blight, late blight, downy mildew, fungi, insects, lepidoptera, powdery mildew, septoria leaf spot, small fruit insects, weeds & diseases, weeds, white rust

Crops and Commodities: alfalfa, apples, beans, blueberries, brassicas, butternut squash, corn, cucurbits, eggplant, flowers, forage, fruit, grapes, grapevine, greenhouse, lima beans, onions, ornamentals, potatoes, raspberries, roses, small fruit, small grain, soybeans, spinach, strawberries, sunflowers, tomatoes, turf, vegetables

IPM Tools: education, eradication, exclusion/avoidance, host resistance, IPM priorities & guidelines, pesticides, UV and visible light-based control

Bio: Jaimin Patel is a plant pathology research scientist at the Lighting Research Center of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Patel is the author of more than 45 scientific articles and serves as the senior editor of Plant Health Progress, a peer-reviewed journal of applied plant health. During his career, he has studied diseases caused by several fungi and oomycetes, and developed a variety of disease management strategies for vegetable crops, small-grains, oil-seed crops, and ornamental crops. Currently, his research is focused on light-based pest management for a wide range of crops.

Website: www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/plants/plants_home.html
Email: patelj6@rpi.edu

Richard J. Pollack

Harvard University (Department of Environmental Health and Safety); IdentifyUS LLC

Pest Expertise: bed bugs, birds, biting mites, black flies, cockroaches, lice, mosquitoes, parasites, rodents, ticks, vector ecology and management

IPM Tools: construction review, diagnostic tool, education, exclusion/avoidance, habitat modification, identification, IPM priorities & guidelines, mechanical control, monitoring, risk assessment

Bio: Public health zoologist focused on arthropods, rodents, and parasites. More than four decades of academic research on mosquito-and tick-borne disease issues in the U.S. and abroad. I currently serve as: a public health officer for Harvard University, a commissioner of a MA mosquito control district, and am the chief scientific officer in a consulting venture serving the industrial, academic, medical, legal, and construction arenas as well as for members of the public.

Website: www.linkedin.com/in/richard-pollack-6818997/
Website: identify.us.com
Email: richard_pollack@harvard.edu
Email: rich@identify.us.com

Mahfuz Rahman

West Virginia University

Pest Expertise: apple scab, black root rot, early blight, late blight, fire blight, fungi, mummy berry disease, peach scab

Crops and Commodities: blueberries, cucurbits, eggplant, grapevine, peaches, pears, raspberries, small fruit, strawberries

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, decision support aids, diagnostic tool, education, exclusion/avoidance, forecasting, host resistance, IPM priorities & guidelines

Education:

PhD Plant Pathology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

MS Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA

Professional Experience:

Extension Associate Professor (5/2017–present), West Virginia University

Program focus: Integrated disease management of fruits and vegetables with emphasis on strawberries, tomatoes, and cucurbits. Specific responsibilities are:

Disease diagnosis at WVU Plant Diagnostic Clinic and sending recommendations to growers
Development of IPM based plant disease management tools for sustainable crop production
Research and teaching on “Integrated Pest Management of Vegetables and Small Fruits”
Development and implementation of decision support system for growers and investigation on fungicide efficacy in growers field and research farms

Extension Assistant Professor (6/2011–5/2017), West Virginia University

My major research focus is sustainable management of diseases in small fruits and vegetables. I strongly believe plant disease management should be a package of judiciously arranged options encompassing host resistance, use of disease free seeds and transplants, planting in appropriate site and providing balanced nutrients to maintain good plant vigor, careful intercultural operations to minimize environmental stress, and use of plant protection materials if needed. Exploitation of host resistance has been on the top of the list of my research and will continue to be so for sustainability of crop production and feed ever increasing population. Host resistance and varietal potential of resistance to diseases need to be exploited and incorporate it in the package of disease management tools. I also work on developing and utilizing sensitive diagnostic tools for disease management recommendations.

Collaboration Interest: Regional efforts on applied research for developing sustainable disease management options in fruits and vegetables. I am specifically interested in fungicide resistance, disease forecasting, and soilborne disease management in strawberries. Screening and development of beneficial microbes based products for plant health, productivity, and quality.

Website: extension.wvu.edu/contact-us/directory/mahfuz-rahman
Email: mm.rahman@mail.wvu.edu
Phone: (304) 293-8838

Joe Regenstein

Cornell University

Expertise: kosher and halal issues

Bio: Head of the Cornell Kosher and Halal Food Initiative.

Email: jmr9@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 255-8041

Collaboration Interest: Willing to be involved in sorting out kosher and halal issues with respect to their presence in human food and animal feed.

Time Frame for Collaboration: Flexible

Location of Collaborators: Northeast states

D Rooney

Rock Steady Farm

Pest Expertise: bacterial diseases, black root rot, early and late blight, colony collapse disorder, flea beetles, fungus, potato leafhopper, powdery mildew, rodents, septoria leaf spot, striped cucumber beetle, ticks, weeds

Crops and Commodities: brassicas, cover crops, cucurbits, dairy, honey bees, mushroom, onions, peppers, pollinators, spinach, tomatoes, vegetables

Bio: We are a diversified vegetable farm, growing primarily for CSA, leasing 12 acres, cultivating 8, in Millerton, NY (northeast Dutchess County). We aren’t certified but practice organic and actively use IPM practices.

Website: www.rocksteadyfarm.com/
Email: drooney1123@gmail.com

Collaboration Interest: Looking for any support regarding managing disease, weeds and pests.

Time Frame for Collaboration: Any time, but some times are obviously busier than others. I work 12 months out of the year, but we farm April–Mid-November.

Bryony Sands

University of Vermont Extension

Pest Expertise: dung beetles, grazed pasture beneficials, insects, livestock pests and parasites, nematodes, parasites, pest flies, ticks

Crops and Commodities: dairy, livestock

IPM Tools: beneficials, biological control, cultural control, decision support aids, diagnostic tool, pesticides

Bio: Bryony's research integrates agroecology, entomology and veterinary parasitology and broadly seeks to understand the impacts of agricultural activities on insect biodiversity, ecosystem function and pest and parasite populations in livestock systems. Her work has focused on the environmental impacts of agricultural parasiticides on functionally important insect decomposer communities, and consideration of novel, environmentally sensitive approaches to pest and parasite control.

Website: www.uvm.edu/extension/nwcrops/profiles/bryony-sands
Email: bosands@uvm.edu

Collaboration Interest: Bryony is interested in collaborating on projects relating to IPM in grazed pasture ecosystems including beneficial invertebrates, particularly dung beetles and soil health. She would also like to collaborate on projects relating to livestock pests and parasites including ticks, flies, mites, lice, and gastrointestinal parasites.

Alicyn Smart

University of Maine

Pest Expertise: bacterial diseases, blight (early), fungus, plant diseases (viruses, phytoplasmas, oomycetes, etc.), septoria leaf spot

Crops and Commodities: apples, beans, blueberries, brassicas, butternut squash, cherries, cover crops, cucurbits, eggplant, flowers, fruit, grapes, greenhouse, onions, ornamentals, peaches, pears, peppers, potatoes, raspberries, roses, small fruit, small grain, spinach, strawberries, stone fruit, sunflowers, tomatoes, tree fruit, turf, vegetables

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, decision support aids, diagnostic tool, education, exclusion/avoidance, forecasting, host resistance, mechanical control, pesticides

Bio: Alicyn directs the University of Maine Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab, which serves as the Regional Center for the Northeast Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN), and is the Deputy Executive Director of the National Plant Diagnostic Network. The Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab identifies diseases present on samples submitted and provides a management plan in the form of a diagnostic report to homeowners, farmers, the lawn care industry, and nurseries to Maine residents and beyond. Through this service, Alicyn identifies areas where research in plant pathology is needed. Research is carried out to enhance the success of Maine agricultural industries by reducing losses to plant diseases and minimizing disease management costs by providing early and accurate disease identification.

Website: extension.umaine.edu/ipm/plant-disease/
Email: alicyn.smart@maine.edu

Julie Smith

University of Vermont

Crops and Commodities: dairy, goat, livestock, sheep

IPM Tools: decision support aids, education

Bio: Since 2002 I have held a variety of extension, research, and teaching positions in the Department of Animal & Veterinary Sciences. I have conducted trainings for Extension educators, livestock producers, and community members on the risks posed by a range of animal diseases, whether they already exist in the United States, exist outside of the United States, or pose a risk to both animal and human health. I emphasize the importance of awareness and prevention and the use of management practices to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of pests and diseases. I currently lead a multi-disciplinary project with multiple objectives related to investigating and influencing human decision-making regarding protecting livestock from new, emerging, or exotic pests and diseases. For more on the project, visit: agbiosecurityproject.org. The project outreach site is: www.healthyagriculture.org.

Website: www.uvm.edu/cals/asci/profiles/julie-smith-dvm-phd
Email: julie.m.smith@uvm.edu

Collaboration Interest: My interest is in agricultural biosecurity inclusive of plant and animal health. This falls under the scope of One Health or One Biosecurity, broadly considering the health of plants, animals, humans, and the environment. I am seeking others to join in brainstorming ideas and developing a proposal for a Northeast Extension/Education and Research Activity. Please be in touch if you are interested in participating in a working group.

Time Frame for Collaboration: My goal is to submit a working group proposal to the 2020 call for partnership grants.

Mark VanGessel

University of Delaware

Pest Expertise: weeds, herbicide resistant weeds, small fruit insects, weeds & diseases

Crops and Commodities: beans, beans (snap), brassicas, butternut squash, corn, corn (field), corn (sweet), cover crops, cucurbits, eggplant, forage, lima beans, peppers, small fruit, small grain, soybeans, spinach, tomatoes, vegetables

IPM Tools: cultural control, education, mechanical control, pesticides

Website: extension.udel.edu/ag/weed-science/

Changlu Wang

Rutgers University

Pest Expertise: ants, bed bugs, cockroaches, insects, rodents, ticks

IPM Tools: monitoring

Bio: Dr. Changlu Wang is an Associate Extension Specialist in the Department of Entomology, Rutgers University. He received his B.S. from Beijing Forestry University (1985), MS from Chinese Academy of Forestry (1988), and PhD from West Virginia University (1998). His research interests are developing new and improved techniques and materials for urban pest management, insecticide resistance, and insect behavior. He published 6 books/book chapters, 64 peer-reviewed papers, and 23 non-peer reviewed articles, and coauthored 4 patents.

Collaboration Interest: Pest control research in apartment buildings; Developing new tools and methods for better management of urban pests (ants, cockroaches, bed bugs, termites, and others); Study the biology and ecology of urban pests; Monitor and survey of urban pest infestations.

Website: entomology.rutgers.edu/personnel/changlu-wang/
Email: changluw@rutgers.edu

Kaitlin Stack Whitney

Rochester Institute of Technology

Pest Expertise: aphids, insects, invasive terrestrial plants, weeds

Crops and Commodities: corn, corn (field), pollinators, soybeans, vegetables

IPM Tools: biological control, cultural control, education, habitat modification, IPM priorities & guidelines, monitoring, pesticides

Website: www.rit.edu/sweetlab/

Andy Wyenandt

Rutgers University

Pest Expertise: bacterial diseases, early and late blight, powdery mildew, septoria leaf spot

Crops and Commodities: basil, cucurbits, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, vegetables

IPM Tools: education, host resistance, pesticides

Bio: I am the Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology at Rutgers University.

Email: wyenandt@njaes.rutgers.edu