Gerald Holmes, Ph.D.

Gerald is the founding director of the Strawberry Center. He earned a B.Sc. in Agronomy from Cal Poly Pomona and his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from UC Riverside. He began his career as a Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor in Imperial County, then served for 12 years as an Extension Vegetable Pathologist and Associate Professor at North Carolina State University, followed by six years as a fungicide Product Development Manager at Valent USA Corporation. Gerald became Director of the Strawberry Center in 2014.

His background in applied plant pathology—spanning academia, cooperative extension, and industry—provides him with a well-rounded and uniquely relevant perspective for his current role.