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Information and Technology Transfer Endowment

The Extension ITT endowment was established to support WSU Extension positions that address specific industry challenges, and to develop coordinated and effective communication with industry partners.

Karen Lewis leads the WSU Tree Fruit Extension Team, a collaboration of WSU Extension specialists and the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission who work to support the industry through outreach and applied research.

Members include Faith Critzer, Tianna DuPont, Gwen Hoheisel, Wendy Jones, Bernardita Sallato, recently hired ITT specialist Jenny Bolivar Medina, and WTFRC project manager Tory Schmidt.

  • Over the last year, use of Treefruit.wsu.edu grew by 23 percent. Additions and updates were made to sections on WA 38, Little Cherry Disease, soils and nutrition, post-harvest defects and disorders, and disease. Videos and Spanish language content were added.
  • Fruit Matters monthly newsletter has increased to 2,061 subscribers. Articles have a strong readership, with 64,485 page views last year.
  • Cody Molnar, Extension ITT coordinator, has helped grow awareness and improve management of Little Cherry Disease. He has expanded training and distributed information focused on helping growers and field staff identify, sample, and remove infected trees, as well as control disease vectors. The new materials, available online and in print in English and Spanish, have reached thousands of stakeholders. A community advisory group was created to help direct and disseminate information.
  • Apple defect and disorder posters are now available for purchase.
  • Due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, team members have developed and delivered online educational programs, including topic-specific virtual field days, webinars, and web meetings.
  • Searches are currently underway to hire staff in post-harvest systems and communications.
Karen Lewis
Jenny Bolivar Medina
Cody Molnar