DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that Dr. Gretchen Paluch has been hired as the new Pesticide Bureau Chief for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Paluch will start on Thursday, April 19th.
The Department’s Pesticide Bureau is responsible for the distribution and use of pesticides, responds to complaints of alleged misuse of pesticides, and providing education and certification for the safe use of pesticides by applicators. There are currently 22,000 certified private applicators and 13,000 certified commercial applicators in Iowa.
“Dr. Paluch will be a tremendous asset to the Department and we are excited to have her in this position,” Northey said. “Her work experience along with her strong level of academic achievement makes her a natural fit and I’m confident she will provide strong leadership to our Pesticide Bureau.”
“Iowa is positioned as a national and international leader in agricultural products and biotechnology across multiple markets,” Paluch said. “This is built on a foundation of land conservation and ingenuity from within the community. I look forward to working with the expertise at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and will strive to fulfill the mission of providing leadership for agriculture, ensuring consumer protection, and promoting responsible use of the states’ natural resources.”
Paluch previously served as the Director of Basic Research for EcoSMART Technologies, Inc. EcoSMART is the world leader in safe pesticide solutions and is based in Roswell, GA. As Director of Basic Research Paluch worked in the area of biorational pesticide development, including technical and regulatory aspects related to pesticide use and registration.
Paluch received a Ph.D. from Iowa State University in entomology and toxicology (co-majors) and a minor in statistics. She also served as a Graduate Research Assistant at Iowa State, conducting research on natural products for pest management, with an emphasis on arthropod repellents.
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