Editorial board

Dr. Surendra Dara

Editor-in-Chief

Biography: Dr. Surendra Dara is an entomologist with more than 25 years of experience in IPM and microbial control. He worked on numerous invasive and endemic species of arthropods and plant pathogens. Dr. Dara has a strong research and extension background working on irrigation, nutrient, and pest management issues, biostimulants, and biological soil amendments to develop sustainable agricultural solutions. His research and extension programs covered commodities such as alfalfa, cassava, cotton, small fruits, and vegetables serving agricultural communities locally, regionally, and internationally.

Dr. Dara has authored/co-authored more than 400 scientific and extension articles, which include three co-edited books, four co-edited special issues of journals, 25 book chapters, and 63 peer-reviewed scientific articles. He has extensive international outreach experience training farmers in Bangladesh, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Kosovo, Moldova, Mozambique, Myanmar, and Zimbabwe. He received multiple national awards for his internationally recognized research and extension work. He holds editorial responsibilities for multiple journals and offices in the Society for Invertebrate Pathology and the Entomological Society of America.

Dr. Siavash Taravati

Associate Editor

Dr. Taravati is an entomologist with over 13 years of experience in pest control and applied entomology. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Entomology from the University of Florida. He also has a Qualified Applicator License issued by the California Department of Pesticide Regulations (CDPR) and a Field Representative Branch II license from the California Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB). He has experience in agricultural, structural, and public health pest management and leads and manages IPM projects on various urban pests of significant economic and public health importance, including termites, ants, cockroaches, bed bugs, and mosquitoes.

He is a frequent speaker at various California pest control workshops. He provides pest control training to his clientele groups, including structural and non-structural pesticide applicators, housing managers and maintenance supervisors, and public agencies. He also has a strong background in web development and coding and holds a U.S. patent for a shape analysis app. He is the recipient of the 2021 IPM Achievement Award from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

A. Katrina Hunter

Content Editor

Biography: A. Katrina Hunter spent several years working in the field of applied pest management research, primarily in agriculture on the Central Coast of California, before becoming a science writer and editor. She has expertise in science communication, pest management, entomology, pesticide regulations, and more.