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Program Team

 

Name and Contact Information

Jennifer Jones, Assistant Director
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences | 540-231-1104 | jejone18@vt.edu
Ozzie Abaye, Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-9737 | cotton@vt.edu

Angela Anderson, Collegiate Assistant Professor
Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | 540-231-2487 | asphay@vt.edu

Professional interests:  Pedagogy (increasing teaching effectiveness within the classroom) and Aerobic Exercise and/or BMI and its effects on Academic Performance.

Thomas Archibald, Associate Professor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-6192 | tgarch@vt.edu

Professional Interests: Program evaluation and evaluation capacity building; adult education and positive youth development; research-practice integration and evidence-based programs; Cooperative Extension; and international development
Shawn Askew, Associate Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-5807 | saskew@vt.edu

Jonathan Auguste, Assistant Professor
Entomology | 540-231-6158 | jauguste@vt.edu

Professional Interests:  Vaccine development, Viral pathogenesis, Virus ecology, Evolution of RNA viruses, Animal model development, Therapeutic development, Vector-borne zoonoses.  My goal is to provide innovative solutions and expertise to address the impact of RNA viruses on human and animal health. To this end, I am committed to the training of the next generation of transdisciplinary scientists in biomedical research. I am dedicated to an Inclusive VT, and the spirit of Ut Prosim (that I may serve).
Maria Balota, Assistant Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 757-657-6450 x407 | mbalota@vt.edu

Anton Baudoin, Associate Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-5757 | abaudoin@vt.edu

Professional interests: Plant diseases and their management. Biological control of weeds with plant pathogens.
Lucy Bergamasco, Instructor
Animal and Poultry Sciences |540-231-9998 | lucianab@vt.edu
Renee Boyer, Professor
Food Science and Technology | 540-231-4330 | rraiden@vt.edu
Kathleen Carper, Collegiate Assistant Professor
Industrial and Systems Engineering | kcarper@vt.edu
Austin Council, Instructor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-8188 | adc@vt.edu

Dixie Dalton, Associate Professor of Practice
Agricultural and Applied Economics | 540-231-3727 | dixie@vt.edu

Professional interests:  teaching people of all ages, via coursework, workshops, and educational events, about the depth and breadth of the agribusiness industry
Robert Davie, Instructor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | o2bhuckn@vt.edu

Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdivia, Assistant Professor
Entomology | 757-363-3904 | adelpozo@vt.edu

Professional interests:  Entomology, applied insect ecology, IPM, pest population dynamics, remote pest monitoring (automated pheromone traps), remote sensing (hyperspectral signatures), use of insectary plants to promote beneficials, use of drones to release beneficials, and testing alternatives to broad-spectrum insecticides.

Jeffrey Derr, Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 757-363-3912 | jderr@vt.edu

Professional Interests:  Integrated weed management in horticultural crops including nursery production and maintenance of ornamentals and turfgrass

Tiffany Drape, Assistant Professor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-5560 | tdrape@vt.edu

Dr. Drape focuses on program evaluation and evaluation capacity building, AI in biometrics, community viability, international development, and education. 
Alan Ealy, Professor
Animal and Poultry Sciences | 540-231-4425 | ealy@vt.edu

Gillian Eastwood, Assistant Professor
Entomology | 540-231-1862 | geastwood@vt.edu

Professional interests:  Vector-borne disease ecology, mosquitoes, ticks, One Health, arboviruses, land-use change impacts on emerging infectious diseases, zoonotic pathogens.
 

Matthew Eick, Associate Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-8943 | eick@vt.edu

Professional Interests:  environmental science, soil science, environmental conservation, and environmental remediation and restoration
 

Joseph Eifert, Professor
Food Science and Technology | 540-231-3658 | jeifert@vt.edu

Professional interests:  Microbiology of food surfaces and food contact surfaces; food microbiological quality and shelf life; poultry processing; food safety education; food laws and regulations
Sally EntrekinAssociate Professor
Entomology | 540-231-5978 | sallye@vt.edu

Erica Feuerbacher, Assistant Professor
Animal and Poultry Sciences | 540-231-1393 | enf007@vt.edu

Professional Interests: Applied animal behavior, including animal training and behavior change; principles of learning and behavior; using behavioral principles to improve animal welfare

John Fike, Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-8654 | jfike@vt.edu

John Fike works on forage-livestock systems, silvopasture and agroforestry, biofuels, and industrial hemp.
Robin Foster, Professor
University of Puget Sound | rfoster@pugetsound.edu

Laurie Fox, Research Associate
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 757-363-3807 | ljfox@vt.edu

Professional Interests:  Residential stormwater management, sustainable/resilient landscape design and practices, native plants, and tree evaluation

Curtis Friedel, Associate Professor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-8177 | cfriedel@vt.edu

Professional Interests:  problem-solving style, creativity, team-science, organizational change, and leading change   
John Galbraith, Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-9784 | ttcf@vt.edu
Deborah Good, Associate Professor
Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | goodd@vt.edu
Lisa Gunter
Arizona State University | lisa.gunter@asu.edu

Jessica Hekman
The Broad Institute

Professional interests:  Behavioral biology, behavioral genetics, canine genetics, and canine breeding practices

Cully Hession, Associate Professor
Biological Systems Engineering | 540-231-9480 | chession@vt.edu

Professional interests:  Stream channel structure and sediment dynamics, influence of human activities on streams, techniques for measuring and improving in-stream habitat, and development of technologies and strategies for successful stream restoration
Matthew Holt, Professor
Agricultural and Applied Economics | 540-231-2609 | mattholt@vt.edu

Joshua Kardos, Instructor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-6961 | jhkardos@vt.edu

Professional interests:  My employment has spanned retail garden center, annual and herbaceous perennial greenhouse, woody plant nursery, ornamental plant breeding, and vegetable grafting. My experience includes all aspects of plant production, plant breeding, plant propagation, and greenhouse construction and maintenance. I am the inventor and/or co-inventor on 35 plant patents.

Eric Kaufman, Professor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-6258 | ekaufman@vt.edu

Professional interests:  Shared leadership, professional learning, team development, community leadership, strategic planning, and leader development across the lifespan
Tom Kuhar, Associate Professor
Entomology | 540-231-6129 | tkuhar@vt.edu
David Kuhn, Associate Professor
Food Science and Technology | 540-231-8643 | davekuhn@vt.edu
Joyce Latimer, Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-7906 | jlatime@vt.edu
Steven Manchester, Instructor
Agricultural, Leadership and Community Education | 540-379-8435 | stevenjm@vt.edu
Vitor Mercadante, Associate Professor
Animal and Poultry Sciences | 540-231-9153 | mercadante@vt.edu
Dini Miller, Professor
Entomology | 540-231-4045 | dinim@vt.edu
Sarah Misyak, Research Assistant Professor
Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | 540-231-8514 | smisyak@vt.edu
Alex Niemiera, Associate Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-6723 | niemiera@vt.edu

Kim Niewolny, Associate Professor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-5784 | niewolny@vt.edu

Dr. Niewolny’s work centers on the role of power and equity in community education and development with scholarly interests in: action research; participatory and cultural community development; critical pedagogy; community food work for social justice; community food security; new farmer sustainability; farmworker advocacy.  Her most recent community-based initiative is the “Stories of Community Food Work in Appalachia” project that illustrates the lived experiences of grassroots educators and practitioners who are connected to the broader issues of social justice and food systems change in the Appalachian region.
Sally Paulson, Associate Professor
Entomology | 540-231-8035 | spaulson@vt.edu

Gabriel Pent, Superintendent

Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center | gpent@vt.edu

Douglas Pfeiffer, Professor
Entomology | 540-231-4183 | dgpfeiff@vt.edu

Professional interests:  Integrated pest management, Agricultural entomology, Entomology, International agriculture, Virginia fruit
Monica Ponder, Professor
Food Science and Technology | 540-231-5031 | mponder@vt.edu

Carlin Rafie, Assistant Professor
Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | 540-231-3162 | crafie@vt.edu

Professional Interests:  Community based participatory research and engagement; Nutrition and dietetics; Program development, implementation and dissemination for lifestyle behavior change; Chronic disease prevention and control program implementation and dissemination within the Cooperative Extension System
Richard Rateau, Assistant Professor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-1435 | rrateau@vt.edu
Kerry Redican, Professor
VetMed | 540-231-5743 | kredican@vt.edu
Mark Reiter, Associate Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 757-414-0724 | mreiter@vt.edu
Steven Rideout, Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 757-414-0724 | srideout@vt.edu

Michelle Rockwell, Instructor
Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | 540-231-9572 | msrock@vt.edu

Professional interests:  Health services, entrepreneurial dietetics, sports nutrition, disordered eating
Rick Rudd, Professor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-6836 | rrudd@vt.edu
Tracy Rutherford, Professor and Department Head
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-8187 | trutherford@vt.edu

Jayesh B. Samtani, Assistant Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 757-363-3901 | jsamtani@vt.edu

Professional interests: Small fruit production, alternatives to fumigation, urban agriculture, integrated weed management, sustainable and protected culture berry production.

Hannah Scherer, Associate Professor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-1759 | hscherer@vt.edu

Professional interests:  What are effective methods and models for promoting, supporting, and facilitating authentic STEM teaching and learning in AFNR contexts?  Specific areas of inquiry include:  Development and assessment of teaching methods to support systems thinking; Development and evaluation of student-centered STEM curricula; Models for STEM educator professional development    
Roger Schurch, Assistant Professor
Entomology | 540-231-6341 | rschurch@vt.edu
Megan Seibel, Assistant Professor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-2375| mseibel@vt.edu
Elena Serrano, Professor
Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | 540-231-3464 | serrano@vt.edu

Kendra Sewall, Associate Professor
Biological Sciences | 540-231-3464 | ksewall@vt.edu

Dr. Sewall seeks to understand how neural and behavioral processes-- and the environmental and developmental factors that impact those processes-- contribute to animals' survival and reproductive success.
Gary Snyder, Adjunct Faculty
Educational Leadership | snyder05@vt.edu

Ryan Stewart, Associate Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-0253 | ryan.stewart@vt.edu

Professional interests:  Soil science, soil health, water resource management, hydrology

Laura Strawn, Associate Professor
Food Science and Technology | 757-414-0724 | lstrawn@vt.edu

Professional Interests:  Reducing microbial hazards throughout the farm to fork continuum; produce safety; food safety modernization act; foodborne disease; surveillance tools; big data
Sally Taylor, Assistant Professor
Entomology | 757-657-6450 | svtaylor@vt.edu

Chevon Thorpe, Collegiate Assistant Professor

Biochemistry | dunnings@vt.edu

Karen Vines, Assistant Professor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-1264 | kvines@vt.edu

Professional interests:  Dr. Vines' work encompasses community building, community engagement, nonformal education, Cooperative Extension and the Land Grant system.

Stella Volpe, Professor and Department Head
Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | 540-231-3805 | stellalv@vt.edu

Professional Interests:  Obesity and diabetes prevention using diet and/or exercise interventions and research in sports nutrition.
 
Jerald Walz, Collegiate Associate Professor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-4469 | jhwalz@vt.edu

Greg Welbaum, Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-5801 | welbaum@vt.edu

Dr. Welbaum's research involves developing post-harvest seed treatments that enhance field establishment, development of new crops that enhance the profitability of Virginia farmers, estimating field emergence of seeds through innovative laboratory seed testing procedures, recovering roadway deicing salts using phytoremediation, vegetable crops, and studying seed biology.
Donna Westfall-Rudd, Associate Professor
Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education | 540-231-5717 | mooredm@vt.edu
James Wilson, Extension Apiculturist
Entomology | 540-231-2168 | keepbees@vt.edu

Jim Westwood, Associate Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-7519 | westwood@vt.edu

Dr. Westwood's research focuses on parasitic plants and the mechanisms by which they interact with host plants. Dr. Westwood is interested in the molecular and genomic processes associated with interactions between plants, ranging from the direct communication of parasitic plants with their hosts to the ways by which weeds interact with other plants.

Kang Xia, Professor
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | 540-231-9323 | kxia@vt.edu

Professional interests:  occurrence, fate, and impact of anthropocentric organic chemicals; wastewater and drinking water treatment to improve water quality; animal manure treatment and best land management
Jennie Zabinsky, Performance Nutrition Consultant
Athletics | 540-231-9910 | jlschaf@vt.edu