Rick Roush appointed interim director of UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program

Entomologist and weed scientist Rick Roush was named interim director of the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) on Oct. 1, 2004. Roush is also director of the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program, and will serve until a permanent SAREP director is selected.

SAREP was established in 1987 as the first sustainable agriculture program at a U.S. land grant university. It is a systemwide program based on the UC Davis campus. Sean L. Swezey, the program’s director since 1999, has returned to UC Santa Cruz.

“I hope to support the successes of a program that is already respected and highly regarded by the sustainable and organic agriculture communities in California and across the U.S.,” Roush said. “Since 1987, SAREP has played a key role in advancing research and implementation for agricultural sustainability in California, the U.S. and around the world. I look forward to working with SAREP researchers and staff to continue important projects already underway, and to strengthen plans and finances for the future.”

Roush said SAREP is known for its wide range of activities, capabilities, and research, including evaluation of pilot farm-to-school salad bar programs, reduced impact and organic pest management, cover crops, and components of production systems like native bee crop pollination.

“Among my aims will be to build even closer relationships between SAREP and other research and extension staff concerned with sustainable agriculture in the University of California and elsewhere in the state,” he said. “SAREP has great potential for synergies with a much wider group of collaborators, and to further extend a vision for sustainable agriculture. I look forward to working with stakeholders to develop and implement SAREP’s and the University’s activities in sustainable agriculture.”

Roush received his bachelor’s degree in entomology from UC Davis and earned a Ph.D. in entomology from UC Berkeley, then conducted postdoctoral research at Texas A&M University on the biology of biological control agents. Before coming to UC IPM in 2003, Roush was a professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia and chief executive officer of the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management for five years. He and his students worked principally on biocontrol of weeds in agriculture and natural ecosystems. Before heading to Australia, Roush taught at Mississippi State University and Cornell University. He is the author or co-author of numerous scientific papers and book chapters.

SAREP provides leadership for research and educational outreach activities that encourage California farmers, farmworkers and consumers to produce, distribute, process and consume food and fiber in ways that are economically viable, sustain natural resources and biodiversity and enhance quality of life. For more information, visit SAREP’s Web site www.sarep.ucdavis.edu or call (530) 752-7556 .