Fruit and Vegetable Team

Name Position Contact Information Specialty

Frank Becker

 Extension Educator, Wayne County becker.587@osu.edu
(330) 264-8722
  • General Fruit and Vegetables
  • Greenhouse

Lee Beers

 Extension Educator, Trumbull County beers.66@osu.edu
(330) 638-6783
  • Blueberries
  • Pumpkins
  • Sweet Corn

Carrie Brown

 Extension Educator, Fairfield County brown.2766@osu.edu
(740) 653-5419
  • Vegetable Crops

Cassy Brown

 Outreach Specialist, OFFER/AMP program brown.1844@osu.edu
(330) 263-3634
  • Ecology and Environment

Allen Gahler

 Extension Educator, Sandusky County gahler.2@osu.edu
(419) 334-6340
  • General Vegetable Crops

Gary Gao, Ph.D.

 Professor and Small Fruit Specialist gao.2@osu.edu
(614) 247-9701
  • Aronia
  • Blackberries
  • Blueberries
  • Elderberries
  • Grapes
  • Raspberries

Mike Gastier 

 Extension Educator, Huron County gastier.3@osu.edu
(419) 668-8219
  • Cucurbits
  • Sweet Corn 
  • Cole Crops

Rafiq Islam, Ph.D. 

 Program Director islam.27@osu.edu
(614) 323-9224
  • Hops
  • Hemp
  • Tomato
  • Pepper

Melanie Ivey, Ph.D. 

 Associate Professor ivey.14@osu.edu
(330) 263-3849
  • Pathology of Fruit, Hops, and Nuts

Carri Jagger

 Extension Educator, Morrow County jagger.6@osu.edu
(419) 947-1070
  • Vegetable Crops

Jim Jasinski

 Professor, IPM Program Coordinator, Extension Educator jasinki.4@osu.edu
(937) 484-1526
  • Cucurbits
  • Sweet Corn

Matt Kleinhenz, Ph.D. 

 Professor kleinhenz.1@osu.edu
(330) 263-3810
  • Multiple Vegetables (fresh, fresh-cut, processing markets)

Ashley Kulhanek

 Extension Educator, Medina County  kulhanek.5@osu.edu
(330) 661-6404
  • Entomology
  • Produce Good Agricultural Practices

Ashley Leach, Ph.D. 

 Assistant Professor, Entomology leach.379@osu.edu
(330) 263-9723
  • Specialty Crop Entomology

Dan Lima

 Extension Educator, Bemont County lima.19@osu.edu
(740) 695-1455
  • Agriculture and Natural Resources

Clifton Martin 

 Extension Educator, Muskingum County martin.2422@osu.edu
(740) 454-0144
  • Pesticide Safety, Diagnostics

Diane Miller, Ph.D. 

 Associate Professor miller.87@osu.edu
(330) 263-3824
  • Apples

Sally Miller, Ph.D. 

 Distinguished Professor miller.769@osu.edu
(330) 466-5249
  • Vegetable Crop Diseases

Gigi Neal 

 Extension Educator, Clermont County neal.331@osu.edu
(513) 732-7070
  • Women in Agriculture

Erdal Ozkan, Ph.D. 

 Professor and Extension State Specialist ozkan.2@osu.edu
(614) 292-3006
  • Pesticide Application Technology 
  • Pesticide Waste Management

Francesca Rotondo, Ph.D. 

 Research Associate, Vegetable Crops rotondo.11@osu.edu
(330) 263-3721
  • Vegetable Fruit Ornamental Landscaping (varied)
  • Vegetable Disease Diagnostics

Beth Scheckelhoff, Ph.D. 

 Extension Educator, Putnam County scheckelhoff.11@osu.edu
(419) 523-6294
  • Farm Management
  • Women in Agriculture
  • Ag Health & Safety
  • Specialty Crops
  • Greenhouse Production

Sabrina Schirtzinger

 Extension Educator, Knox County schirtzinger.55@osu.edu
(740) 397-0401
  • Fruit 
  • Vegetables 
  • Cut Flowers

Hannah Scott, J.D. 

 Program Director, CFAES Center for Cooperatives (OSU South Centers) scott.1220@osu.edu
(614) 247-9705
  • Cooperative Development

Robert Filbrun

 Manager, Muck Crops Ag. Res. Station filbrun.12@osu.edu
(419) 709-7485
  • Vegetable Crops (varied)

Tim McDermott, D.V.M. 

 Extension Educator, Franklin County mcdermott.15@osu.edu
(614) 292-7916
  • Urban Farming

Magaret Rivera 

 Extension Educator, Urban Agriculture, Summitt County rivera.482@osu.edu
(234) 226-6633
  • Urban Farming

Julie Wayman

 Extension Educator, CD Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga, Trumbull Counties wayman.31@osu.edu
(440) 344-7594
  • Food produced for the local market