Presenter Bio's for the 2007 Annual Workshop
Augustin, Dr. Bruce J.
Dr. Bruce J. Augustin is currently the Director of Environmental Agronomy for The Scotts MiracleGro Company. He joined Scotts in 1998 as Director of Product Development in the Research and Development Division.
He is the technical leader for environmental and product stewardship. He develops and coordinates science-based assessments and recommendations for product development, product stewardship and strategic direction for the entire lawn and garden category within Scotts.
Prior to joining Scotts, Dr. Augustin was a turfgrass professor at the University of Florida and conducted research in plant nutrient and water relations. He has also worked for major agrochemical and fertilizer suppliers to the professional and homeowner turf and ornamental industries.
Dr. Augustin received a Ph.D. in turfgrass physiology from The Ohio State University, a M.S. in grass seed production from the University of Idaho, and a B.S. in urban horticulture from the University of Delaware.
He is an expert in the plant and soil sciences and has authored of over 120 popular and scientific articles on turfgrass and landscape management.
Dr. Augustin has spoken to numerous professional, homeowner, and governmental groups at seminars and conferences throughout the United States.
Bowman, Jr., Thomas, C.
- Received BS Degree in Natural Resources from North Carolina State University
- Masters Degree in Agriculture Education from North Carolina State University
Taught Agriculture Education at the high school level from 1977 through 1998. Currently employed as a Pesticide Inspector with the North Carolina Dept. Agriculture, Pesticide Section from1998 to present. Interests include working with and training bird dogs for grouse hunting. Married living in western North Carolina with wife and one four-legged "child", an English Setter.
Buhler, Wayne
Associate Professor and Pesticide Education Specialist, Department of Horticultural Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University.
Wayne Buhler was born in New Jersey, grew up on the beaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and moved with his family to Indiana after graduating high school. He developed a love for entomology while attending college at Anderson University in Indiana. After completing a Master’s and Ph.D. in Integrated Pest Management at Purdue University, he remained in the Entomology Department as a Postdoc working on parasitic mites of honey bees and as a professional staff member working on insect pests of field corn, soybeans, turfgrass, and fruits and vegetables. He joined the Horticultural Science Department at NC State University in 1998 and coordinates the Pesticide Safety Education Program there. Wayne is married and has 3 daughters, whom he and his wife homeschool. Even the latest addition to his family is a girl: a fox terrier named Sadie.
Butzler, Tom
Tom Butzler is a horticulture IPM extension educator in Clinton County.
Gatton, Steve
Steve Gatton was born in and currently lives in Statesville, North Carolina with his wife Brenda. He has been employed as a pesticide inspector with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services since 1998. Steve received a BS in Agronomy and Animal Science from NC State University in 1979. Before joining the Pesticide Section he had worked as an Agricultural Extension Agent, an Assistant Manager on a Dairy Farm, a Livestock Inspector and owned a lawn care business.
Hipkins, Patricia
Ms. Pat Hipkins was hired in 1989 at Virginia Tech as an Assistant Coordinator and remains in that position today. She is a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Entomology. Ms. Hipkin's training includes a B.A. in biology/chemistry/english and philosophy (1968, Seton Hill College), and a M.S. in biology (1974, University of Louisville). Ms. Hipkins also holds a teaching certification (1971, Clarion State College). Prior to coming to Virginia Tech she worked as a high school science teacher in Montgomery County Schools, as a biology instructor at Hood College, and as a research assistant at the University of Louisville. She is married to Lloyd Hipkins (also a senior research associate and extension weed scientist). They have two sons and live in Newport, Virginia.
Lingenfelter, Dwight
Dwight Lingenfelter is an extension agronomist/weed scientist in the Dept. of Crop & Soil Sciences at Penn State since 1994. He is responsible for writing fact sheets and newsletter articles, developing presentations and other materials for Extension purposes, assisting with the preparation of The Penn State Agronomy Guide, presenting practical information at county Extension meetings and field days, and generally contributing to other weed science Extension and research needs in mainly agronomic and some vegetable crops. He also coordinates the annual Penn State Agronomic Field Diagnostic Clinic and coaches the PSU collegiate weed science team and is a member of several professional societies and serves on various committees. He received BS and MS degrees in Agronomy from Penn State. He also worked for a period at the Ciba-Geigy (now Syngenta) Ag Research Station in Hudson, NY and as a District Manger/Crop Consultant with an independent crop consulting company in northern Illinois. He is a native of central Pennsylvania and became interested in agriculture while working on his uncle’s crop farm in western Oregon during the summers. He and his wife Ketja live in State College.
Moose, Lindsay H.
Special Assistant, Field and External Affairs Division
Office of Pesticide Programs
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
As part of his work in the Field and External Affairs Division in EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Mr. Moose prepares speeches and testimony, participates in budget and strategic planning activities, and coordinates responses to Congressional and public inquiries. In addition, Mr. Moose has provided leadership in the development of OPP’s program performance measures.
Mr. Moose has been with EPA for twenty years and, in addition to OPP, has worked in the Agency’s Office of International Activities and Office of the Administrator. Mr. Moose holds a Masters Degree in International Transactions from George Mason University (Virginia) and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Clemson University (South Carolina).
Lorenz, Eric
Eric Lorenz is the Pesticide Education Program's coordinator. He coordinates the development of test preparation materials, provides pesticide safety training for certification, and develops and presents update training seminars for pesticide applicators. Eric also organizes pesticide safety in-service trainings for technical service employees, faculty, and extension agents.
Richards, Dr. Kerry
Kerry Richards is the Manager of the Pest Management Information Center. Her responsibilities include promoting informed pesticide regulatory decisions by the federal government and keeping Pennsylvania stakeholders abreast of regulatory changes. Kerry works with UDSA's National Agricultural Statistics Service to survey PA farm managers on pest management techniques. Kerry will continue her youth education work by developing IPM and pesticide safety curriculums for school programs.
Swackhamer, Emelie
Emelie Swackhamer has worked as the horticulture extension educator in Lehigh and Northampton Counties for almost 10 years. Her mission is to make core pesticide trainings fun to attend and to teach.
Townsend, Dr. Kimberly A.
Dr. Kimberly A. Townsend is an adjunct faculty member for the College of Education at the Penn State. She teaches graduate Adult Education courses in class and for the World Campus. She also teaches a course for Labor and Industrial Relations called "Race, Gender, and Employment." Dr. Townsend has a BA in business administration and psychology from Grove City College, a MA in curriculum and instruction from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and a D.Ed in Adult Education from Penn State. She has over 20 years experience in the education and training of adults. She served 21 years in the United States Air Force and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard where she retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Dr. Townsend is currently the Director for Shelter Services at the Sylvia Stein Shelter for battered women in Centre County.