PROSSER, Wash. – Gerrit Hoogenboom, director of the AgWeatherNet program at Washington State University since 2010, has accepted a position at the University of Florida beginning Jan. 1.
Under his leadership, AgWeatherNet has become one of the largest and best automated agricultural weather station networks in North America. It provides current and historical weather data, along with a range of models and decision aids.
Gary Grove, director of the WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, will become interim director of AgWeatherNet. He was the network’s director until 2010 and was responsible for migration of the weather monitoring system to off-the-shelf standard sensors and equipment.
Melba Salazar will become interim leader of the research program of AgWeatherNet. WSU will begin the process to refill the director position in 2016.
“I have enjoyed working with the growers and other stakeholders in the Pacific Northwest, providing them with state-of-the-art decision support systems that are based on sound scientific research,” Hoogenboom said.
“We will miss Dr. Hoogenboom,” said Rich Koenig, director of WSU Extension. “Under his leadership, AgWeatherNet expanded significantly and developed several important decision models and push technologies.”
At the University of Florida, Hoogenboom will help develop transdisciplinary models for better understanding food systems and better informing legislators and community leaders.
Contacts:
Gerrit Hoogenboom, WSU AgWeatherNet director, 509-786-9371, gerrit.hoogenboom@wsu.edu
Gary Grove, WSU IAREC director, 509-786-9283, grove@wsu.edu