2/2017 – present:
OSU School IPM Program Director, Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis. Provide leadership of the OSU School IPM Program. Lead an outreach and training program to advance the implementation of sustainable Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Oregon schools. Facilitate expansion of program activities into other sensitive sites in the built environment and public spaces.
8/2005 – 1/2017:
IPM Education Specialist, Integrated Plant Protection Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis. Provided leadership of the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) for the College of Agriculture Sciences, Agriculture Extension Program. Organized and taught in PSEP educational events in English and Spanish. Provided support to county extension agents who conduct PSEP events. Developed the OSU School IPM Program. Implemented an outreach and training program to advance the implementation of sustainable Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Oregon schools.
10/2004 – 8/2005:
Education and Outreach Specialist, Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, University of California, Davis. Developed and implemented materials and training programs in English and Spanish for agricultural workers and their families, local clinic and community agency employees, and community members to educate them about various aspects of agricultural health and safety.
8/2002 – 9/2004:
Pesticide Safety Educator, UC Statewide IPM Program, Davis, California. Developed a community-based training infrastructure for reduced-risk pest management. Worked with experts from agricultural commodity groups to develop commodity-specific training for pest management risk reduction, including avoiding water contamination and pesticide drift. Curricula development, training of trainers, and evaluation were integral components of this initiative.
3/2000 – 8/2001:
Participation and Gender Specialist, CATIE-MIP/AF, Managua, Nicaragua. This was a regional IPM program, the goal of which was to improve pest-management practices of farm families through ecological reasoning and systematic observation. A major focus was on training of trainers (extensionists). As a member of the management team supervised two staff specialists in participatory methods and gender inclusion issues. Assessed methodological content of season-long training of trainers in IPM, and facilitated increased incorporation of participatory methods and a family focus into the training. Developed curricula and trained farmers, trainers and master-trainers in participatory implementation of IPM.
5/1997 – 2/2000:
Farmworker Education Specialist, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Olympia, Washington. Advised and then facilitated a move towards more interactive training and partnering with other entities for a more effective and expanded program. This included identifying and prioritizing educational needs in pesticide safety education for farmworkers, developing a partnership action committee with industry and educational institutions, facilitating a workshop for trainers on field-based, interactive training methods, and an evaluation of the program using participatory rural appraisal techniques. Also advised on IPM training for farmworkers
9/1997 – 10/1997:
Consultant, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, Bangkok, Thailand. Edited “Partnership for Local Action”, a sourcebook on training for local government officials in participatory approaches to shelter and human settlements improvement. This included case studies about developing partnerships between low-income communities, local governments, NGOs and the private sector to better meet the needs of the communities.
8/1996 – 5/1997:
Consultant, CITYNET: Regional Network of Local Authorities for the Management of Human Settlements, Yokohama, Japan. Various short-term contracts. Advised towards a bottom-up approach on project proposals related to poverty alleviation. Facilitated a UN-sponsored interactive workshop on community and local government collaboration in development programs. Edited publications on urban development issues such as wastewater treatment and transportation infrastructure.
9/1996 – 10/1997:
IPM Training and Extension Consultant, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Islamabad, Pakistan. Follow-up to the 1995 mission. The main accomplishment of this mission was the development of a training outline for interactive field training of farmers and trainers in IPM based on the FAO Farmer Field School model. Also created Terms of Reference for International Consultants who would conduct the training, made recommendations on the types of structures needed for the delivery of IPM training on a national level, and recommended a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the program using a baseline data survey and participatory methods.
8/1996 – 11/1996:
Participation and Extension Consultant, JICA (Japanese government), Kanagawa, Japan. Designed, planned, and carried out short training for JICA on "People's Participation and Extension in the Development Process". Topics included ‘Participation which Promotes Dependency vs. Participation which Promotes Self-Reliance’ and ‘Discovery-based Learning’. Participatory group activities for monitoring and evaluation were also explained and demonstrated.
11/1995 – 12/1995:
IPM Training and Extension Consultant, FAO, Islamabad, Pakistan. Evaluated the role of ongoing IPM extension programs for cotton and prepared a concept paper for IPM training as a result. This led to the establishment of a National IPM Implementation Program, as well as a project for field training of trainers and farmers based on the FAO Farmer Field Schools model for Integrated Pest Management.
5/1994 – 9/1994:
Field Researcher, Philippine National IPM Program, Manila, Philippines. Carried out IPM impact study for the Philippine IPM Program in vegetables. This was part of MS dissertation work partially supported by FAO and The Asian Development Bank (ADB). Also developed curriculum materials for monitoring impact of an ADB-funded Technical Assistance grant (implemented by C.A.B. International) for IPM training in vegetables. The goal of the IPM training is to advance sustainable agriculture by enhancing farmers’ decision-making skills through experiential and discovery-based learning techniques. The impact study was to determine changes in the learning capacity of IPM training graduates. Indicators used were: Changes in decisions regarding agroecological conditions; changes in ways of dealing with pest problems; changes in experimentation; changes in interaction with local and outside organizations; and changes in groups as a result of the IPM training.
5/1991 – 5/1992:
Implementation Officer, Sofala Rural Rehabilitation Project; Food for the Hungry International, Beira, Mozambique. Managed a U.S.A.I.D.- funded $4.2 million agricultural and rural rehabilitation project. The objective of the project was to assist 50,000 displaced people in four districts to determine and act on their own development and rehabilitation priorities. Supervised multicultural staff of 24. Designed and implemented a social and economic impact survey. Based on results, developed an agricultural extension program for the target population. Also contracted consultants, produced budget projections, prepared annual work plans and narrative reports, and acted as general liaison with government departments and NGOs.
4/1987 – 10/1990:
Agricultural Development Worker, Ministry of Natural Resources/Peace Corps, Honduras. Analyzed existing farming practices in Honduran community. Based on results, developed a successful farmer-to-farmer program: Coordinated motivational study tours to view successful agricultural technologies. Organized courses on soil conservation, green manures and IPM. Facilitated on-farm experimentation of minimum tillage and inter-cropping corn with velvet bean by local farmers. Designed micro-irrigation systems. Also planned and carried out workshop for Peace Corps volunteers on people-centered extension methodology.