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Feb 29, 2000
CONTACT: Linda McCandless, llm3@cornell.edu, 315-787-2417
by John Zakour
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Suggested caption: Dr.Jan Nyrop has been promoted to full professor. |
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GENEVA, NY: Jan P. Nyrop has been promoted to full professor of entomology at Cornell University. He specializes in biological control, pest control decision making, and quantitative population ecology, and works at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY,
"Jan came into our department to enhance our overall quantitative skills and biocontrol expertise," said Wendell Roelofs, chairperson of the entomology department in Geneva. "Initially he became a major player in the internationally renowned fruit IPM team, and then collaborated with additional faculty in developing and validating pest control decisions on major pests of turf and vegetables as well. Jan's pervasive research reaches out to encompass the whole department and binds it together as a cohesive unit. He also has been our resident computer expert throughout the years of our metamorphosis to a computer-based environment."
Nyrop also enthusiastically spreads the joy and importance of insect research through many presentations to school children in Geneva, undergraduates, graduate students, and the public on numerous Station tours.
Nyrop's program is multifaceted. He strives to increase the understanding of the ecology of pests and their natural enemies for the purpose of improving pest management systems. He also seeks to develop knowledge and tools for improving crop protection decision making, which, according to Nyrop, "runs the gamut of statistical methodology, understanding the impact of pests on crop yield and quality, and risk assessment analysis." Nyrop also uses his background in and experience with quantitative methods to leverage other investigations. Finally, he seeks to engage in teaching and outreach to promote better understanding of crop protection decision making, pest management, insects, and population ecology.
"Developing a mite biological control program in apples that can be successfully used throughout the Northeast" is the accomplishment of which Nyrop is most proud. Included in his soon-to-be-published book by CAB International, entitled Sampling and Monitoring in Crop Protection: The Theoretical Basis for Developing Practical Decision Guides, will be an electronic version written in MathCad which will allow users to make all the computations described in the book. Nyrop co-authored the book with Wopke vanderWerf of Holland and Michael Binns of Canada.
Over the next several years, Nyrop plans to continue researching mites in grapes and developing further insights into how plant characteristics influence mite dynamics. He also plans to continue work on the spatial ecology of insects that has until now focused on scarab grubs. "A new area of inquiry will be the ecology of exotic arthropods from the perspective of predicting invasiveness," he said.
Nyrop received his B.S. in Wildlife Ecology in 1977, from the University of Maine. From Michigan State University, he received his M.S. in Entomology in 1979, his M.S. in Systems Science in 1982, and his Ph.D. in Entomology in 1982. Before coming to Geneva, he worked as research assistant in the department of entomology at Michigan State University and as a forest insect specialist for Michigan DNR, Forest Management Division. He came to work at the New York State Agirculutral Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, in 1982 as an extension associate in the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program, and accepted an assistant professorship in the entomology department in 1985. He was promoted to associate professor in 1991. Nyrop is a member of the Entomological Society of America, American Statistical Society and Phi Kappa Phi.
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