New director of YESI appointed

The global pandemic we are currently living through highlights the fact that we face an increasing number of global challenges that threaten ourselves and our planet. Feeding a growing population and adapting to the effects of climate change, while protecting biodiversity and the services it provides, requires innovation, cooperation between diverse stakeholders and a willingness to cross the boundaries between academic disciplines.

Matthew joins us from Penn State University, College of Agricultural Sciences, where he is Professor and Huck Scholar in Ecological Entomology. His research focuses on the ecology and evolution of insect pests and diseases, with the aim of better understanding the consequences of global change and improving the effectiveness and sustainability of pest and disease management. He has worked across diverse natural and managed systems addressing varied problems in both developed and developing countries. Matthew works to transfer these insights from ecology and agriculture into the public health arena and his research makes him ideally placed to drive forward YESI’s interdisciplinary environmental sustainability agenda and to act as a highly effective ambassador, promoting YESI’s work to a wider audience.

We look forward to welcoming Matthew to York and working with him in the future.