College Station, Texas
October 29, 2008
Dr. Joseph G. Masabni has been
named vegetable specialist for the
Texas AgriLife
Extension Service.
"We are pleased that we were able to successfully recruit an
individual with highly relevant experience and qualifications
for this position. Dr. Masabni's background fits very well with
the needs of the department and industry," said Dr. Tim Davis,
head of horticultural sciences at Texas A&M University.
He will hold a joint position as assistant professor in the
department and work with vegetable growers statewide.
Masabni most recently was associate Extension professor of
horticulture at the University of Kentucky where he developed
educational programs to improve the profitability of fruit and
vegetable industries in that state.
"I worked with apple, peach, grape, bramble, pecan, tomato,
pepper, pumpkin, sweet sorghum and sweet corn, to name a few,"
Masabni said.
His position fills that of Dr. Frank Daniello, AgriLife
Extension vegetable production specialist who retired in 2007.
"We are very excited to have Joe Masabni within the Extension
horticulture unit," said Dr. Doug Welsh, AgriLife Extension
horticulture program leader. "Joe brings tremendous expertise in
vegetable production, as well as educational technologies to
deliver high-quality programs to producers in the $450 million
Texas vegetable industry."
In Kentucky, Masabni also conducted research as part of a
multi-region project to evaluate pome and stone fruit
rootstocks. He also did field and greenhouse experiments on
orchard floor management in tree fruits, small fruits and
vegetable crops. Prior to that, he was a research assistant for
the horticulture department at Michigan State University.
Masabni earned a bachelor’s degree in soil and crop sciences in
1985, a master’s in fruit production in 1989, and a doctorate in
weed science in 1998, all from Michigan State University.
He is active in the American Society of Horticultural
Science-Southern Region and the North Central Weed Science
Society. |
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