Biography
I am the Oregon State University (OSU) Integrated Pest Management Center (IPM) Director and a Professor and Extension Entomology Specialist affiliated with the Department of Crop & Soil Science. From Aug. 2021-Sept. 2022, I served as interim director of the OSU Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center. I received my B.A. and M.S. in Entomology at the Agraria University in Lima, Perú, and my Ph.D. in Crop Sciences with a major in Entomology and IPM from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 2002, I worked as a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Florida Horticulture Department. In 2005, I joined OSU, where my position description included Research and Extension, and I managed the Irrigated Agricultural Entomology Program, relying on external funding and managing over $36 million in private, state, and federal grants; in Sept. 2022, my position changed to include administration. My area of expertise is IPM, emphasizing insect ecology, insect distribution, population dynamic insect-plant interactions, biological and chemical control. I have worked with multiple commodities groups, including potatoes, grass seed, wheat, and high-valuable vegetables, including onions, sweet corn, hemp, and carrots. I have over 134 peer-reviewed scientific and extension papers, 16 book chapters, 170 non-peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and reports; 43, 139, and 146 international, national, and regional volunteered and invited presentations, respectively; and 182 extension presentations. I am active in DEI activities, participating in the first OSU College of Agricultural Science Task Force (2021), OSU Crop and Soil Science DEI Advisory Board (2021), Entomological Society of America (2021-2022), and IPM centers DEI working groups (2023-present). I have a passion for mentoring and have mentored undergraduates, graduates, interns, Postdoctoral scholars, early career professionals, and others in my academic organizations. I have also mentored international students through the ENTOMENTOS program. Most recently, I have served my professional societies as President of the Entomological Society of America Pacific Branch (2024-2025).
