June 4, 2021
Pest Management Solutions for Specialty Crops and Specialty Uses
Greetings!

The following is a recap of news and updates from the IR-4 Project during the month of May. We are also continuing our spotlight series highlighting new IR-4 HQ employees.
IR-4 HQ Award Presentations
IR-4 Hall of Fame Award Presented to Dan Kunkel
Former IR-4 Senior Associate Director Dan Kunkel, Ph.D. was presented with the IR-4 Hall of Fame award. Kunkel was selected for this award in recognition of his service and dedication to IR-4 throughout his 30-year career with the organization.

During his time with IR-4, Kunkel made multiple contributions towards the mission of the organization, including authoring several scientific articles highlighting the work of IR-4, mentoring new scientists joining the organization and serving in various leadership roles, including during periods of great growth and success.

Congratulations, Dan!
Karl Lindaeur Presented with Technical Service Award
Karl Lindauer, associate director with the Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Office of Information Technology Services, was presented with the Technical Service Award from IR-4 Headquarters.

Lindauer was presented this award for his long-term support and dedication to maintaining and advancing IR-4 information and technology systems.

Congratulations, Karl!
Regional Award Presentations - North Central Region
The following awards were recently presented by the North Central Region:

  • Meritorious Service Award - Dr Clifford Sadof, Purdue University (pictured here). Sadof was presented this award for his work in conducting environmental horticulture field trials in Indiana, leading to registration of uses important for ornamental producers in the state and region.

  • Technical Service Award - Lisa Latham, IR-4 North Central Region quality assurance officer (photo unavailable). Latham was presented this award for her work in implementing QA for IR-4's North Central region, as well as assisting in the first remote laboratory auditing process during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Congratulations to Cliff and Lisa!
Tolerance Successes

The following tolerance successes were posted to our website during the month of May:
Environmental Horticulture Program News
Crop Vignette: Impatiens

Impatiens is a genus of more than 1,000 flowering plants in the family Balsaminaceae widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere and the tropics.

Read more
www.ir4project.org
New HQ Employee Spotlight - Shiayi Huang
Shiayi Huang is the data applications manager for IR-4. Huang is no stranger to the IR-4 family. She joined the headquarters team at Rutgers University in April 2011. In May of 2021, Huang officially joined the new headquarters team at NC State University to continue her work with the organization. 

Huang received her master of liberal arts degree from St. John's College in Annapolis, MD. She has been doing software application, web application and database management and development for more than 20 years. In her spare time, Huang loves to play tennis, garden and watch movies. 
New HQ Employee Spotlight - Robert Welker
Robert "Rob" Welker joins our Regulatory Sciences group as a study director. Welker is not new to the IR-4 Project. Since 2019, he has worked on IR-4 GLP studies and efficacy trials at NC State University. Prior to that, Welker worked for several of our crop protection industry partners and held multiple research and quality assurance appointments at public universities, as well as the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Welker and his wife, Deanna, have been married for 30 years and have three children. He enjoys photography, travel and all things outdoors. 
Registration Open: 2021 Industry Technology Session
Attendees can now register for the 2021 Industry Technology Session. The virtual session will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, July 20, starting at 11 a.m. EDT. Registration is required. Click the button below to start the registration process.
Save the Dates:
Mark your calendars for the 2021 Food Use Workshop and 2021 Environmental Horticulture Program Workshop taking place later this year. More information about each event will be announced in the coming weeks and posted within the Workshops and Events section of our website.
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award numbers 2021-34383-34848 and 2020-34383-32455 with substantial cooperation and support from the State Agricultural Experiment Stations, USDA-ARS and USDA-FAS. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.