MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Washington State University entomologist Lynell Tanigoshi will shift his base of operation to the WSU Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center in Mount Vernon from the university’s Vancouver Research and Extension Unit.
Tanigoshi will split his time between the Vancouver and Mount Vernon facilities, continuing his research and outreach in southwest Washington.
“I’m committed to continuing to support the small fruit industry statewide,” Tanigoshi said. “By spending more time at the Mount Vernon facility I’ll be closer to the center of the industry within the state.”
Richard Zack, chair of the WSU Entomology Department, says the move will enable Tanigoshi to bring more resources to bear in support of the industry.
“They’ll still get Lynell’s expertise, plus all of the other resources of the new Mount Vernon facility,” Zack said. “Growers don’t have just an insect problem, or a disease problem, or a soil problem. Now they’ll be able to tap into expertise on several fronts and get a more integrated approach to addressing all of those problems.”
The Mount Vernon facility will enable Tanigoshi to do more work with growers in on-site research, Zack said. Tanigoshi’s research program will have the added support of a post-doctoral research associate and a technical assistant.
“We’re pleased to add entomology to the resources available through the Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center,” said center director Debra Ann Inglis. “Lynell and his staff will definitely complement our existing research and outreach capabilities.”
Dan Bernardo, dean of WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, said that the co-location of Tanigoshi’s research makes sense in supporting the state’s small fruit industry.
“Having Lynell spending more of his time at the Mount Vernon facility means that we’ll have much of WSU’s berry production expertise together at one location, thus providing more opportunities for research collaboration,” Bernardo said.
Tanigoshi will begin splitting his time between the two facilities in November.
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