Professional Positions
2000 -
present; Professor of Plant & Soil Sciences; University of
Massachusetts Amherst, MA
1997
- 2000; Director, UMASS Extension; University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
1992 -
1997; Associate Dean, College of Food and Natural Resources; Associate
Director, UMASS Extension; University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
1989 -
1992; Assistant Director, Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station; and
Professor of Horticulture, University of Illinois College of Agriculture,
Urbana, IL.
1987
- Visiting Scientist. Knoxfield Horticultural Research Institute,
Victoria, Australia.
1979 -
1989; Assistant/Associate Professor of Horticulture and Extension Specialist,
UI, Urbana, IL.
1978
- 1979; Research Scientist, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix, U.S.
V.I.
1977
- 1978; Instructor of Biology, Tompkins-Cortland Community College, Dryden,
N.Y.
1973
- 1978; Graduate Teaching Assistant, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
Description of Current Professional
Responsibilities
Dr. Gerber is a Professor in the Department of Plant, Soils and Insect Sciences. In this role he has taught the following courses:
o
Sustainable
Agriculture,
o
Sustainable
Living,
o
Plants
and the Environment,
o
Botany
for Gardeners
o
Junior
Writing
o
Dialogue
(mindfulness communication) on Agricultural Issues,
o
Agricultural
Systems Thinking,
o
Participatory
Leadership: Consensus, Conflict and Community,
o
Community
Food Systems, and
o Permaculture.
Description of Previous
Professional Responsibilities
ADMINISTRATIVE: Dr.
Gerber held an administrative appointment as Director of UMASS Extension, a
major unit within the UMass Office of University Outreach. In this
capacity he was the chief administrative leader for four major outreach
programs in the College of Food and Natural Resources and the School of Public
Health and Health Sciences. He provided leadership for program planning,
evaluation, personnel and budget management. He directly or
indirectly supervised 150 fte=s of faculty, professional and support staff, and
managed a budget of over $10 million. Dr. Gerber also held an appointment
as Associate Dean in the College of Food and Natural Resources at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst. In this capacity he assisted the
Dean in management of the College including planning, budget management, tenure
decisions and personnel evaluation. Previously he served as Assistant
Director of the University of Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station.
He was responsible for the creation and administration of the UI Agro-Ecology
Program. In addition, he provided administrative support to the Director
of the UI Agricultural Experiment Station in the day to day management of the
system, with an emphasis on industry relations and strategic planning.
EXTENSION: Dr. Gerber
served as Extension Specialist and Program Leader from 1979 - 1989 at the
University of Illinois. He provided statewide leadership for extension
programming in commercial vegetable crop production, including managing a
statewide convention (annual attendance = 2000), organizing local meetings, in
service training for staff, and development of publications and mass-media
educational programs.
TEACHING: Dr. Gerber held
a teaching appointment from 1988 - 1991 at the University of Illinois. He
taught International Food Crops in 1989 and 1991, and advised undergraduate
students on special projects in vegetable cropping systems and vegetable
physiology. He participated in team teaching efforts for Introduction to
Horticulture in 1989, and Introduction to Agricultural Systems Analysis in 1990
and 1991.
RESEARCH: Dr. Gerber held
a research appointment in the Department of Horticulture and was a member of
the graduate faculty (1979 - 1992). Responsibilities included applied
research in the areas of vegetable cropping systems, seed technology, soil
fertility, and controlled environment production. His fundamental
research focused and flowering and fruit set of bell peppers. Dr. Gerber
served as Director of Research for the following graduate students:
Brown,
J., Ph.D., 1983. Effect of cropping systems on production and economic returns
of ten vegetable crops.
Schmidt,
J., M.S., 1983. Influence of sidedressed nitrogen on flowering and fruit set of
bell pepper, Capsicum annuum L.
Caplan,
L.A., M.S., 1984. The effect of seed moisture and osmoconditioning on emergence
and vigor of high sugar sweet corn (Zea mays L.) genotypes.
Edge,
S., M.S. 1985. Plastic row tunnel effects on tomatoes and sweet corn.
Fillinghim,
K.E., M.S., 1986. Characterization and amelioration of poor seed vigor in a sh2
sweet corn, Zea mays L.
Mohd-Khir,
I., M.S., 1987. Effect of row tunnels and temperature on growth, yield and
quality of bell pepper, Capsicum annuum L.
Choi,
G., Ph.D., 1989. Effects of temperature on yield, fruit shape and flower
primordium development of bell pepper, Capsicum annum L.
Hassan,
S.A., Ph.D., 1989. Effects of excess nitrogen on growth, flowering and fruit
set of bell pepper, Capsicum annuum L.
Schloupt,
R., M.S. 1990. The row tunnel microenvironment and its effect on yield and
growth responses of cucumber, Curumis sativus L.
Seron,
J., M.S. 1992. Adaptability of rice to elevated carbon dioxide and
temperature from global warming.